Making art and talking about it: style, technique, music, dance and the stage.
Talking about art in Chinese means having words for the work, the way it was made and the effect it has. Many of them are built from a handful of characters: 画for painting艺for art and skill演for performing Two verbs are worth separating early: 创作 is what an artist does when making a work, and 欣赏 is what the audience does with it. Watch the reading of 乐: it is yuè in every word about music, as in 乐队, and lè only when it means happy.
The words
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Verb (8)
创作to create (a work of art); creative workVerb5
她花了三年时间创作这部小说。She spent three years writing this novel.
Only for art, music and literature; ordinary making is 做 or 制造.
欣赏to appreciate; to enjoy; to admireVerb4
我很欣赏他的画，颜色用得特别大胆。I really admire his paintings; he uses colour very boldly.
Also of people: to think highly of someone.
表现to express; to show; performanceVerb4
这幅画表现了农民丰收时的喜悦。This painting expresses the joy of farmers at harvest time.
As a noun, how someone does: 他在比赛中表现很好.
雕刻to carve; carvingVerb5
老师傅用一块木头雕刻出了一只小鸟。The old craftsman carved a little bird out of a block of wood.
拍卖to auction; auctionVerb5
这批古董下个月公开拍卖。This lot of antiques will be auctioned publicly next month.
指挥to conduct; to direct; conductorVerb5
她第一次指挥整个乐团演出。It was the first time she had conducted the whole orchestra in a performance.
Also to command or direct traffic and work; a conductor is also 指挥家.
演奏to play (an instrument in performance)Verb5
他在婚礼上演奏了一首钢琴曲。He played a piano piece at the wedding.
For a performance; practising at home is just 弹 or 拉.
象征to symbolise; symbolVerb5
在中国文化里，竹子象征坚强和谦虚。In Chinese culture bamboo symbolises strength and modesty.
Noun (31)
审美aesthetic sense; taste in beautyNoun5
每个人的审美都不一样。Everyone's sense of beauty is different.
Often in 审美观, one's aesthetic outlook.
风格styleNoun4
这位画家晚年的风格变得很简单。In his later years this painter's style became very simple.
灵感inspirationNoun5
散步的时候我常常会有灵感。Inspiration often comes to me when I go for a walk.
雕塑sculptureNoun5
广场中间有一座很大的铜雕塑。There is a large bronze sculpture in the middle of the square.
Measure word: 座.
摄影photographyNoun5
他业余时间喜欢摄影，尤其喜欢拍街头的人。In his spare time he enjoys photography, especially taking pictures of people in the street.
Photography as an art; taking a snapshot is 拍照.
现代艺术modern artNoun5
这家美术馆主要展出现代艺术。This gallery mainly shows modern art.
杰作masterpieceNoun5
大家都认为这幅画是他一生中的杰作。Everyone considers this painting the finest work of his life.
绘画painting (as an art)Noun5
她从小学绘画，后来考上了美术学院。She studied painting from an early age and later got into an art college.
The art form; to paint a picture is 画画儿.
素描sketch; drawingNoun5
学画画儿一般先从素描开始。Learning to paint usually starts with drawing.
水彩watercolourNoun5
她用水彩画了窗外的风景。She painted the view from her window in watercolours.
色彩colour (in art); toneNoun4
这幅画色彩很鲜艳，一看就让人觉得温暖。The colours in this painting are bright; it makes you feel warm at first sight.
More literary than 颜色, and also figurative: 地方色彩, local colour.
线条line (in a drawing)Noun5
他的画线条简单，却很有力量。The lines in his drawings are simple, yet very powerful.
构图composition (of a picture)Noun5
这张照片构图很好，可惜光线太暗了。The composition of this photo is good, but unfortunately the light is too dim.
画廊art gallery (selling art)Noun5
这条老街开了好几家画廊。Several galleries have opened on this old street.
A commercial gallery; a public art museum is 美术馆.
真迹authentic work (by the artist's own hand)Noun5
博物馆里这幅画是真迹，不是复制品。This painting in the museum is the original, not a reproduction.
复制品reproduction; replicaNoun5
商店卖的都是名画的复制品，价格不贵。The shop sells only reproductions of famous paintings, and they are not expensive.
交响乐symphony; symphonic musicNoun5
今晚的音乐会有两首交响乐。Tonight's concert includes two symphonies.
A symphony orchestra is 交响乐团.
乐队band; orchestraNoun4
他大学时跟同学组了一个乐队。At university he formed a band with some classmates.
乐 is yuè in music words and lè in 快乐.
旋律melodyNoun5
这首歌的旋律很好记。The melody of this song is easy to remember.
歌词lyricsNoun4
这首歌的歌词是根据一首古诗改编的。The lyrics of this song are adapted from an old poem.
舞蹈dance (as an art)Noun5
晚会上最受欢迎的是一个少数民族舞蹈。The most popular item at the evening show was a dance from one of the ethnic minorities.
The art form; to dance is 跳舞.
芭蕾舞balletNoun5
我女儿每个周六上芭蕾舞课。My daughter has a ballet class every Saturday.
题材subject matter; theme (of a work)Noun5
这部小说的题材很新，写的是外卖员的生活。The subject of this novel is fresh: it is about the lives of food delivery riders.
剧情plot (of a play or film)Noun5
这部电影剧情太简单了，一开始就能猜到结局。The plot of this film is too simple; you can guess the ending from the start.
首映premiere (of a film)Noun5
电影首映那天，导演和演员都来了。On the day of the premiere the director and the actors all came.
彩排dress rehearsal; to rehearseNoun5
演出前一天要彩排一次。There is a dress rehearsal the day before the performance.
演技acting (skill)Noun5
她的演技越来越成熟了。Her acting is becoming more and more mature.
意境mood; artistic atmosphereNoun5
这首诗只有二十个字，意境却很深。This poem has only twenty characters, yet the mood it creates is profound.
The world a poem or painting opens up; no single English word fits.
流派school (of art or thought)Noun5
印象派是西方绘画中很重要的一个流派。Impressionism is a very important school of Western painting.
才华talent; flairNoun5
这个年轻的作曲家很有才华。This young composer is very talented.
Mostly talent shown in art, writing or ideas; a natural gift for sport is 天赋.
手法technique; way of doing (in art or writing)Noun5
作者用幽默的手法写了一个悲伤的故事。The author tells a sad story with a humorous touch.
Adjective (2)
古典classicalAdjective5
我爸爸开车时只听古典音乐。My dad only listens to classical music when he drives.
写实realistic (in style)Adjective5
他的画非常写实，像照片一样。His paintings are very realistic, just like photographs.
This list belongs to Chinese culture and history — six lists and 242 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 41 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.
