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    Chinese Grammar

    Using 词 (cí) to express "word" or "lyrics"

    Topic & Focus

    Explanation

    The noun 词 (cí) means "word," "term," or "lyrics." In classical Chinese literature, 词 also refers to a specific genre of poetry characterized by lines of varying length. It is one of the most fundamental terms in Chinese linguistics and literature.

    Examples

    • 这个词是什么意思？我查一下词典。

      Zhè ge cí shì shénme yìsi? Wǒ chá yíxià cídiǎn.

      What does this word mean? Let me look it up in the dictionary.

    • 这首歌的词写得真好，我都快背下来了。

      Zhè shǒu gē de cí xiě de zhēn hǎo, wǒ dōu kuài bèi xiàlái le.

      The lyrics of this song are really well written; I've almost memorized them.

    • 你能用这个词造个句子吗？

      Nǐ néng yòng zhè ge cí zào ge jùzi ma?

      Can you make a sentence using this word?

    Using 词 (cí) to express "word" or "lyrics" | Chinese Grammar