1.
singing voice; sound of singing
The sound of a person singing, or a person's voice as it sounds when singing. Can refer to both the quality of the voice and the sound of singing heard from a distance.
A compound of 歌 (song) + 声 (voice). A poetic and evocative word that captures both the quality of a singer's voice and the ambient sound of singing.
Common collocations
- 美しい歌声: beautiful singing voice
- 歌声が響く: a singing voice resounds
- 歌声が聞こえる: a singing voice can be heard
- 歌声に魅せられる: to be enchanted by a singing voice
- 歌声喫茶: singing cafe (a type of cafe popular in the Showa era)
Similar words
- 声: voice — the general word for voice
- 歌唱力: singing ability — focuses on skill rather than the sound itself
- 声量: vocal volume/power — a technical aspect of voice quality
Cultural note
歌声喫茶 were cafes popular in the 1950s-60s where customers sang together, a precursor to modern karaoke. The 歌声運動 (singing movement) was a postwar cultural movement that promoted group singing.