sing
gb/sˈɪŋ/ us/sˈɪŋ/
A1
Kiingereza
~ 1600
Maana
maana 0
Kitenzi
A1
action
1
Produce musical sounds with voice
To make music with your voice by using different notes.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to sing [a song/tune/lyrics]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sing' with 'song'. 'Sing' is the action; 'song' is the thing you sing.
Visawe
chant (Often more rhythmic and repetitive, sometimes without melody.)
|
croon (To sing softly and smoothly, often in a sentimental way.)
Vinyume
stay silent (To not make any vocal sound at all.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sing a song
|sing in tune
|sing along
|sing loudly
|sing softly
Mada
music
|entertainment
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Mifano
- She loves to sing in the shower every morning.
- The children sang a beautiful song at the school concert.
- He sang loudly to his favorite track on the radio.
- We all sang together around the campfire.
- The choir will sing at the festival this weekend.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I like to sing in my room.
- She can sing very well.
- We sing songs at school.
- They sing together every Sunday.
- He sings in a band.
Kitenzi
A2
action
2
Make high-pitched continuous sound
To make a high, clear sound for a while, like some birds do.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[something] sings
Visawe
chirp (Short, quick sounds made by small birds or insects.)
|
warble (To sing or whistle with trills and variations in pitch.)
Vinyume
be silent (To make no sound at all.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
birds sing
|sing sweetly
|sing loudly
|sing happily
Mada
nature
|sound
|communication
Mifano
- The canary sang beautifully in its cage.
- Outside, the birds were singing in the trees.
- The kettle sang as the water boiled.
- A lark sang high above the meadow.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The bird sings in the tree.
- My cat sleeps while the birds sing.
- A small bird sings every morning.
- The birds sing when it is sunny.
Kitenzi
informal
B2
action
3
Tell authorities about wrongdoing
To tell the police or other officials about someone’s crime or bad action.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to sing to [someone] about [something]
Visawe
confess (To admit one’s own wrongdoing rather than report others.)
|
inform (A more formal word for giving information to authorities.)
Vinyume
keep quiet (To intentionally not reveal information.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sing to the police
|make someone sing
|sing like a canary
Mada
crime
|law
|communication
Mifano
- Under pressure, he finally sang and told them everything.
- The suspect refused to sing despite hours of questioning.
- They knew he would sing if offered a lighter sentence.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- He sang to the police about the crime.
- She will not sing about her friends.
- They made him sing after many questions.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
sing
IPA
GB/sˈɪŋ/
US/sˈɪŋ/
Silabi na mkazo
sing (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (sing)
Maumbo ya neno
Verb
- Base: sing
- 3rd Person Singular: sings
- Present Participle: singing
- Past: sang
- Past Participle: sung
Familia ya neno
Forms
sings
verb
singing
verb
sang
verb
sung
verb
Related words
singable
adjective
Advanced or less common
unsung
adjective
Vidokezo muhimu
- Irregular past: sang Verb
- Irregular past participle: sung Verb
Semi
sing along
1/sˈɪŋ əlˈɔŋ/
phrasal verb
Join in singing with others or music
To sing together with another person or with music that is playing.
Mifano
- Everyone sang along to the chorus of the song.
- She encouraged the audience to sing along with her guitar playing.
sing like a canary
1/sˈɪŋ lˈaɪk ə kənˈɛɹi/
idiom
informal
Reveal information freely (to authorities)
To tell secrets or private information easily, especially to police.
Mifano
- Once they caught him, he sang like a canary and told them everything.
- The suspect is expected to sing like a canary under questioning.
sing out of tune
1/sˈɪŋ ˈaʊt əv tˈun/
fixed phrase
Sing with incorrect pitch
To sing with notes that are not correct for the song.
Mifano
- He always sings out of tune but with great enthusiasm.
- The choir was nervous and sang out of tune during the performance.
sing someone's praises
1/sˈɪŋ sˈʌmwˌʌnz pɹˈeɪzɪz/
idiom
Speak very positively about someone/something
To say many good things about someone or something.
Mifano
- The manager sang her praises after the successful project.
- Everyone at the office is singing her praises after the successful product launch.
- They are always singing the praises of their favorite restaurant.
- He kept singing the doctor's praises to anyone who would listen.