Japanese Symbol for

音楽

ongaku

music · melody · sound

Readings

  • 音 ONオン・インon / in
  • 音 KUNおと・ねoto / ne (sound, note)
  • 楽 ONガク・ラクgaku / raku
  • 楽 KUNたの(しい)tano-shii (enjoyable, fun)

Meaning

Music, musical movement. 音楽 combines 音 (sound) with 楽 (enjoyment, comfort, music). 楽 alone means both "music" and "pleasure/ease" — music is inherently associated with enjoyment.

Example words

音

oto / ne

sound, note, tone

楽器

gakki

musical instrument

音符

onpu

musical note

演奏

ensō

musical performance, playing

管弦

kangen

wind and string instruments, music

鳴り物

narimono

musical instrument (traditional)

Japan has a unique traditional music tradition including 雅楽 (gagaku — ancient court music), 尺八 (shakuhachi — bamboo flute), 琴 (koto — zither), and 三味線 (shamisen — three-stringed lute). Japan also has one of the world's largest pop music industries, with J-pop and city pop finding global audiences.

Learn to read Japanese

Hiragana and katakana are the keys to reading Japanese. Our free trainers get them locked in fast.

Hiragana Trainer → Katakana Trainer →