(yín) - to chant & to recite

Tone 2

yín | 7 strokes | radical: 口

· yín

to chant;

to recite;

to sing;

to hum;

a type of classical Chinese poetry

to chantto reciteto sing

Usage highlights

recite poetrychant verseshum a tunemoan and groanclassical poetry formchanting voice

Synonyms

  • to recite; to read aloud
  • to sing; to chant
  • to chant; to intone poetry

Antonyms

  • silent; quiet (opposite of chanting aloud)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He often recites poetry (吟诗).
  • The poet chanted verses aloud (吟诵).
  • She hummed a melody (吟唱).
  • This is a form of classical poetry (吟体).

Collocations

  • recite poetry(吟诗)
  • chant verses(吟诵)
  • hum a tune(吟唱)
  • moan and groan(呻吟)
  • classical poetry form(吟体)
  • chanting voice(吟声)

Idioms

  • Chanting while walking(行吟坐咏)
  • Chanting poems and composing verses(吟诗作赋)
  • Singing of the wind and chanting of the moon(吟风弄月)
  • Chanting with bitter sorrow(苦吟)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 吟 represents the traditional Chinese literati practice of chanting poetry aloud to appreciate its rhythm and meaning.
  • In classical Chinese poetry, '吟' refers to both the act of reciting poetry and a specific poetic form.
  • The character embodies the scholarly tradition of literary appreciation through vocal performance.

FAQ