song, ballad

About this kanji

The kanji 「唄」 primarily means "song" or "ballad." It can be used both as a noun and as a verb, with the noun form being more common. Some representative compounds include 長唄 (ながうた), which refers to a long epic song typically accompanied by the shamisen, and 子守唄 (こもりうた), meaning lullaby. Another example is 小唄 (こうた), a type of short song. A usage note to keep in mind is that while this kanji can denote songs in general, it often implies a more traditional or poetic style of singing.

Example sentences

• 日本の唄を歌う。

  I sing a Japanese song.

Meanings across languages

English

song, ballad

Tiếng Việt

bài hát

日本語

唄

한국어

노래

中文

歌

id

lagu, balada

th

เพลง, บัลลาด

es

canción, balada

fr

chanson, ballade

de

Lied, Ballade

pt

canção, balada

Common compounds

• 長唄ながうたlong epic song with shamisen accompaniment (developed in Edo in the early 17th century)
• 子守唄こもりうたlullaby
• 小唄こうたkouta, traditional ballad accompanied by shamisen
• 地唄じうた(style of) folk song
• 梵唄ぼんばいsong praising the virtues of the Buddha, chanting of Buddhist hymns
• 島唄しまうたtraditional Okinawan folk music
• 端唄はうたshort love song (popular in late Edo period)
• 唄方うたかたsinger in a nagauta performance