play the koto
乐器名称前一般用定冠词 the，play 后不加冠词的用法多见于美式口语。
She has played the koto since she was a child.
她从小就弹日本筝。
日本筝
日本的一种弦乐器,通常有七或十三根弦,张于凸起的木制共鸣板上,用一只手的大拇指、食指和中指所戴的三个拨子弹奏。；(日)十三弦古筝
A Japanese stringed instrument with a convex wooden soundboard and usually seven or thirteen strings, plucked with plectra.
日本的一种弦乐器,通常有七或十三根弦,张于凸起的木制共鸣板上,用一只手的大拇指、食指和中指所戴的三个拨子弹奏。
A Japanese stringed instrument having numerous strings, usually seven or thirteen, that are stretched over a convex wooden sounding board and are plucked with three plectra, worn on the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of one hand.
She practiced the koto every evening to prepare for the recital.
她每天晚上练习十三弦古筝，为演奏会做准备。
用法提示：此处koto作名词，指日本传统乐器十三弦古筝。
The musician plucked the silk strings of the koto with delicate fingers.
音乐家用纤细的手指拨动十三弦古筝的丝弦。
用法提示：koto作为名词，描述被拨弦的乐器。
I bought a traditional koto from a shop in Kyoto.
我在京都的一家店里买了一把传统的十三弦古筝。
用法提示：koto作为名词，指代具体的乐器。
乐器名称前一般用定冠词 the，play 后不加冠词的用法多见于美式口语。
She has played the koto since she was a child.
她从小就弹日本筝。
表示“用某种乐器”时，常用介词 on 加 the 加乐器名。
He performed a folk song on the koto.
他用日本筝演奏了一首民歌。
koto 放在另一名词前作定语时用单数形式，说明类别或来源。
The concert featured both koto music and Western chamber works.
这场音乐会既有日本筝乐曲，也有西方室内乐作品。
grammar · medium
易错句子She bought two koto in Japan.
正确表达She bought two kotos in Japan.
英语可数名词表示复数时通常要加 -s；koto 的复数形式是 kotos。汉语名词没有复数词尾，学习者容易漏掉。
grammar · medium
易错句子I saw koto in the museum.
正确表达I saw a koto in the museum.
koto 是可数名词，单数形式在句中作宾语时需要加不定冠词 a；汉语没有冠词，学习者容易省略。
grammar · medium
易错句子She is good at play the koto.
正确表达She is good at playing the koto.
介词 at 后接动词时要用动名词形式，因此 play 应改为 playing；汉语没有这种动词形式变化，学习者容易直接放原形。
两者都是日本拨弦乐器，但 koto 通常有七或十三根弦，用套在手指上的三个拨子弹奏；shamisen 只有三根弦，用大拨子弹奏。指日本筝时不能用 shamisen 替换。
guzheng 特指中国的古筝，koto 特指日本的筝；中文里 koto 应译作“日本筝”而不是“古筝”。两者形制相近，但不能把 koto 直接说成 guzheng。
zither 是弦鸣乐器的一大类，koto 属于其中一种；作为类别词可用，但特指日本乐器时应说 koto，而不是只说 zither。
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