Definition
To sing (a song). Used when someone performs or voices music with their voice.
Example
她每天早上唱一首歌。
Show translation
She sings a song every morning.
Etymology
The character 唱 combines the "mouth" radical (口, kǒu) on the left with 昌 (chāng, "prosperous/flourishing") as the phonetic component on the right. The phonetic element hints at the sound, while the mouth radical ties the character's meaning directly to vocal production. This mouth + phonetic structure is extremely common in characters related to speech and sound.
Cultural note
Singing holds a special place in Chinese social culture. KTV (卡拉OK, kǎlā OK — karaoke) is one of the most popular group leisure activities in China, and going out to sing (去唱歌 qù chàng gē) is a classic way to spend an evening with friends or colleagues. The phrase 唱歌 (chàng gē, "to sing a song") is the most common collocation learners will encounter.