首 (shǒu) — song; poem (measure word)

首 (shǒu)

首 is the measure word for songs (歌) and poems (诗). It counts each complete musical or poetic composition. While 首 literally means "head" (as in 首都 — capital city), as a measure word it is reserved for songs and poetry. Use 首 where English uses "a song" or "a poem."

Meanings

1. [mw] Song — counts individual songs as complete pieces.
2. [mw] Poem — counts individual poems as complete literary works.

Example Sentences

我想学这首歌。 Wǒ xiǎng xué zhè shǒu gē. I want to learn this song.

她唱了一首很好听的歌。 Tā chàng le yī shǒu hěn hǎotīng de gē. She sang a very beautiful song.

这首诗是李白写的。 Zhè shǒu shī shì Lǐ Bái xiě de. This poem was written by Li Bai.

请给我推荐一首中文歌曲。 Qǐng gěi wǒ tuījiàn yī shǒu Zhōngwén gēqǔ. Please recommend a Chinese song to me.

Collocations

Memory Hook

首 means "head" — a song or poem is the "head" of artistic expression, leading the emotions of its listeners.