About
The character for "sound" or "voice" originates from a traditional form composed of several meaningful components, which together depicted the act of listening to a specific kind of auditory phenomenon. Its earlier structure integrated a component representing a musical stone or chime with the character for "ear", suggesting the perception of a deliberate, often ritualistic, sound. Over time, the meaning broadened from denoting such ceremonial music or distinct noises to encompass all varieties of sound and vocal expression. The modern, simplified form is not a new invention but rather an ancient graphical variant that was adopted as the standard writing; this form isolated and retained only the upper section of the older character, which originally depicted the resonant stone instrument itself, thus preserving a vestige of the word's sonic origins while streamlining its written form.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
声音很响亮。
他大声说话。
我们听到了奇怪的声音。
声调在中文里很重要。
她轻声细语地安慰我。
通过广播声，我们知道消息。
他的声誉在国际上很好。
声音的传播需要介质。