誦 (sòng) - To recite & to chant
誦 · sòng
To recite;
to chant;
to read aloud;
to memorize by reading out loud.
To reciteto chantto read aloud
Usage highlights
Recite poetryChant scripturesMemorize through recitationRead aloud with expressionRead and reciteRecite from memory
Usage & contexts
Examples
- The students recite poems (诵诗).
- She chants Buddhist scriptures (诵经).
- He memorized the text by reading it aloud (背诵课文).
- We read the pledge in unison (朗诵誓词).
Collocations
- Recite poetry(诵诗)
- Chant scriptures(诵经)
- Memorize through recitation(背诵)
- Read aloud with expression(朗诵)
- Read and recite(诵读)
- Recite from memory(记诵)
Idioms
- Recite without understanding(诵而不解)
- Recite like a stream(口诵心惟)
- A household reciting his works(家诵户弦)
- Recite the classics daily(日诵五车)
Cultural background
FAQ- Traditionally associated with classical education, where students memorized texts like the Confucian classics through repeated recitation.
- Important in Buddhist and Daoist practice for chanting sutras and scriptures.
- Reflects the historical emphasis on oral transmission and memorization in Chinese learning.