歌声
gēshēng · HSK 3
song
🎤🎵 歌声 = 歌 (song) + 声 (sound/voice)
歌 means song and 声 means sound or voice, so 歌声 literally combines to mean the sound of singing. Compare 笑声 (xiàoshēng, laughter) and 雨声 (yǔshēng, sound of rain) — 声 is the go-to suffix for any kind of audible sound.
歌 — 哥 (phonetic 'gē') + 欠 (open mouth)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The right side 欠 depicts a person with an open mouth, supplying the meaning of singing or vocalizing. The left side 哥 gives the sound 'gē'. Together they form the verb and noun for 'song' or 'to sing'.
声 — 士 scholar/warrior on top + 尸-like form + components (simplified from 聲)
声 is the simplified form of 聲, which originally depicted a hanging stone chime (殸) being struck, with 耳 'ear' below to show hearing. The full form combined the sound-making instrument and the act of listening, meaning 'sound' or 'voice'. The modern simplified 声 keeps only the upper portion.