歌う・唄う・詠う・唱う|うたうutau[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
歌う歌う is the most common spelling and the form beginners should use for singing, singing of love or beauty in a poem, expressing something as a poem, or reciting a poem.
唄う唄う is less common than 歌う. It is a kanji-and-kana spelling of the same verb and can represent the same meanings.
詠う詠う is less common than 唄う and 歌う. It is another kanji-and-kana spelling of the verb, used for the same range of meanings.
唱う唱う is a rarely used kanji-and-kana spelling. It represents the same verb and meanings, but you will seldom encounter it.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbto sing
- godan verb, transitive verbto sing of (love, beauty, etc.) in a poem; to express in the form of a poem; to recite (a poem)esp. 歌う, 詠う
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 歌う（うたう） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 歌います（うたいます） |
| Negative (nai) | 歌わない（うたわない） |
| polite (masen) | 歌いません（うたいません） |
| classical zu / nu | 歌わず・歌わぬ（うたわず・うたわぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 歌った（うたった） |
| polite (mashita) | 歌いました（うたいました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 歌わなかった（うたわなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 歌いませんでした（うたいませんでした） |
| Te form | 歌って（うたって） |
| Potential | 歌える（うたえる） |
| Passive | 歌われる（うたわれる） |
| Causative | 歌わせる（うたわせる） |
| Causative passive | 歌わせられる・歌わされる（うたわせられる・うたわされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 歌えば（うたえば） |
| tara | 歌ったら（うたったら） |
| Volitional | 歌おう（うたおう） |
| polite (mashou) | 歌いましょう（うたいましょう） |
| Imperative | 歌え（うたえ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym歌唱かしょうWrittenWritten Sino-Japanese noun for the act of singing, common in contests and education, as in 「歌唱力」; not the everyday word for singing.
- SynonymうたうWrittenWritten as 「謳う」, it means to extol or to stipulate explicitly, as in 「憲法に謳う」; not the everyday word for singing.
- Related唱えるとなえるNeutralNeutral register. Used for chanting spells or sutras, or for advocating a view, as in 「念仏を唱える」 and 「異議を唱える」; not for singing.
- Related吟唱ぎんしょうWrittenWritten term for chanting poetry in a loud voice; the focus is on the poem, not a song.
- Related吟詠ぎんえいWrittenWritten word for chanting a poem to a tune, or for composing poetry, as in 「漢詩を吟詠する」.
- Related朗唱ろうしょうWrittenWritten and rarely used: reciting or singing in a loud, ringing voice; the emphasis is on the volume of the voice.
- Related誦するしょうするWrittenWritten verb for reciting sutras or lines of poetry aloud; this is recitation, not singing.
- Related吟じるぎんじるWrittenArchaic-flavored verb for chanting poetry or composing it, as in 「和歌を吟じる」.
- Related吟ずるぎんずるWrittenA more literary form of 「吟じる」 for chanting poetry; even more old-fashioned and elegant.
For singing, 「歌う」 is the default. 「歌唱」 is the written Sino-Japanese noun, as in 「歌唱力」. For chanting or reciting poetry, use 「吟じる」 or 「吟詠」; 「唱える」 is for spells, sutras and advocating a view. 「謳う」 means to extol or stipulate explicitly. 「吟唱」, 「朗唱」, 「誦する」 and 「吟ずる」 are rare written terms for reciting aloud.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
