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(gē shǒu) - singer, vocalist in Mandarin

shǒu

Traditional: 歌手

#2638 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

singer, vocalist

Word origin

A compound of 歌 (gē, song) and 手 (shǒu, hand). The 手 ending marks a person who does something skilfully, the same ending as in 选手 and 高手.

Origin
compound
Root
歌 (gē, song) + 手 (shǒu, hand, a doer)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 歌

Stroke order for 手

Examples

She is a very famous singer.

This singer has a particularly lovely voice.

He has wanted to be a singer since he was small.

There are two singers in the band.

That young singer gave a concert yesterday.

歌手 (gē shǒu) is a singer, specifically one who sings for a living: pop, folk, rock, the person named on the record. The measure word is 位 when you are being respectful, 个 in casual speech and 名 in writing.

The 手 ending is the piece worth taking away. It builds a whole family of doer nouns: 选手 a contestant, 高手 an expert, 水手 a sailor, 对手 an opponent. Spotting that ending tells you the word is about a person before you know anything else.

The trap is reaching for 歌手 for anyone who happens to sing. Somebody singing in the shower is 唱歌的人, a trained classical or operatic singer is 歌唱家, and a choir member is 合唱团的成员. 歌手 carries the sense of a professional act.

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Mandarin · Free printables

歌手: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "歌手" (singer, vocalist): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

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This word is part of lesson 53.