- 和弦 héxián chorda group of three or more musical notes played at the same time
- 心弦 xīnxián heartstringsThe heart's deepest thoughts and feelings, especially when moved or stirred to empathy.
- 管弦乐 guǎnxiányuè orchestral musicMusic performed by an ensemble consisting of woodwind, brass, string, and percussion instruments; a major form of instrumental ensemble music.
- 扣人心弦 kòurénxīnxián thrillingexciting; deeply moving; describes a performance, match, or story that strikes a chord with the audience
- 弦乐 xiányuè string musicmusic played using stringed instruments
- 管弦乐队 guǎnxiányuèduì orchestraorchestra; specifically a symphonic or philharmonic group consisting of string, woodwind, brass, and percussion sections
- 箭在弦上 jiànzàixiánshàng point of no returnThe arrow is on the string; a situation where everything is ready and things have reached a point where one must act or there is no turning back. Often followed by [[不得不发|不得不发|bu4 de2 bu4 fa1]].
- 管弦 guǎnxián wind and stringed instrumentscollective term for woodwind, brass, and stringed instruments
- 琴弦 qínxián stringstring of a musical instrument; typically made of silk, copper, or steel
- 弓弦 gōngxián bowstringthe string of a bow
- 正弦 zhèngxián sine(math) sine; one of the trigonometric functions, defined in a right-angled triangle as the ratio of the side opposite a given angle to the hypotenuse
- 弦外之音 xiánwàizhīyīn overtonethe lingering sound of a string after it has been plucked
- 上弦 shàngxián first quarter moonThe moon phase during the eighth or ninth day of the lunar month when only the right half is visible.
- 动人心弦 dòngrénxīnxián deeply movingto tug at one's heartstrings; to deeply touch or move someone and cause a strong emotional resonance
- 三弦 sānxián sanxianA traditional Chinese three-stringed plucked instrument with a long neck and a wooden soundbox covered in snakeskin; often used in folk music and opera accompaniment. Also known as [[弦子|弦子|xian2 zi5]].
- 弦子 xiánzi three-stringed lutea traditional three-stringed plucked musical instrument; also called a [[三弦|三弦|san1 xian2]]
- 离弦 líxián to leave the bowstringDescribes an arrow leaving the bowstring; used to describe extreme speed or something that cannot be taken back
- 改弦更张 gǎixiángēngzhāng to make a fresh startLiterally meaning to change the strings of an instrument and retune them, this idiom is used to describe a major change in policy, system, or attitude in order to start anew.
- 余弦 yúxián cosinea mathematical function, written as "cos", defined in a right-angled triangle as the ratio of the side adjacent to an acute angle to the hypotenuse
- 正弦波 zhèngxiánbō sine wavesine wave; simple harmonic vibration; sinusoidal wave
- 四弦琴 sìxiánqín violinA musical instrument with four strings; another name for the [[小提琴|小提琴|xiao3 ti2 qin2]].
- 改弦易辙 gǎixiányìzhé to change course(idiom) to change strings and move out of a rut; to make a dramatic change in direction, attitude, or method
- 断弦 duànxián to lose one's wifeto be widowed as a man; literally "a broken string", based on the ancient metaphor of a married couple being like two harmonious musical instruments
- 弦歌 xiángē to sing to stringsTo sing with the accompaniment of stringed instruments; by extension, to sing in general.
- 下弦 xiàxián last quarter moonThe moon phase occurring around the 22nd or 23rd day of the lunar month when the eastern half of the moon is visible; also known as the third quarter.
- 丝弦 sīxián silk stringA musical string made of twisted silk; can also refer to string instruments in general
- 如箭在弦 rújiànzàixián to reach the point of no returnLike an arrow on the bowstring; used to describe a situation where something is imminent or unavoidable due to the pressure of circumstances.
- 续弦 xùxián to remarry(literary, of a man) to remarry after the death of one's wife; the term originates from a metaphor comparing a couple to the strings of a musical instrument
- 弦月 xiányuè quarter moon; crescent moonA moon that appears as a semi-circle; specifically the moon on the 7th, 8th, 22nd, or 23rd of the lunar month.
- 弦乐器 xiányuèqì string instrumentmusical instrument that produces sound via vibrating strings
- 五弦琴 wǔxiánqín banjobanjo; any five-stringed musical instrument such as a pentachord
- 单弦 dānxián danxianA storytelling art form from northern China where a solo performer sings and keeps rhythm with an octagonal drum, accompanied by a [[三弦|三弦|san1 xian2]] player.
- 定弦 dìngxián to tuneto tune a stringed instrument by adjusting the tension of the strings
- 七弦琴 qīxiánqín guqina traditional seven-stringed zither; also known as the [[古琴|古琴|gu3 qin2]]
- 三和弦 sānhéxián triadA chord made of three notes stacked in intervals of thirds, consisting of a root note, a third, and a fifth.
- 弦索 xiánsuǒ stringed instrumentsstringed musical instruments in general
- 六弦琴 liùxiánqín guitarA six-stringed instrument played by plucking or strumming; also known as a [[吉他|吉他|ji2 ta1]].
- 二弦 èrxián erhutwo-stringed bowed musical instrument; another name for the erhu or similar southern Chinese fiddles
- 弦乐队 xiányuèduì string orchestraAn orchestra or musical ensemble consisting primarily of string instruments
- 丝竹管弦 sīzhúguǎnxián traditional Chinese musicliterally string and wind instruments; refers to traditional Chinese ensemble music
- 子弦 zǐxián fine musical stringThe finest silk string used on musical instruments, such as the outer string of a [[三弦|三弦|san1 xian2]], [[琵琶|琵琶|pi2 pa5]], or [[二胡|二胡|er4 hu2]]
- 急管繁弦 jíguǎnfánxián fast beatfast-paced musical rhythm or many instruments playing together; also written [[繁弦急管|繁弦急管|fan2 xian2 ji2 guan3]]
- 弦诵 xiánsòng to chant with musicTo chant or recite to the accompaniment of stringed instruments; historically, to sing poetry with music or recite it without music.
- 弦切角 xiánqiējiǎo chord-tangent angleThe angle formed by a chord of a circle and the tangent line at one of its endpoints; also known as the angle of osculation.
- 纪弦 jìxián Ji XianTaiwanese modernist poet and leader of the Modernist School of poetry in the mid-twentieth century
- 弦外之意 xiánwàizhīyì implied meaningAn underlying meaning or hidden connotation implied beyond the literal words; subtext (originally referring to a meaning or feeling conveyed by music beyond the notes played)
- 里弦 lǐxián inner stringthe thicker inner string of a bowed musical instrument, such as an erhu
- 弦子戏 xiánzixì Xianzi Operatraditional regional opera style popular in western Shandong and parts of Henan, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces
- 繁弦急管 fánxiánjíguǎn fast tempomusical music with a fast, dense tempo; often used to describe lively music or a bustling atmosphere
Sources
- Frequency data
- MTSU Chinese text computingSUBTLEX-CH