music theory

English

Noun

music theory (uncountable)

1. The field of study dealing with how music works, typically examining the language and notation of music, the patterns and structures in composers' techniques, and so on.

   Synonym: theory of music

Translations

field of study dealing with how music works

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 音樂理論 / 音乐理论 (zh) (yīnyuè lǐlùn), 樂理 / 乐理 (zh) (yuèlǐ)

• Dutch: muziektheorie (nl) f
• Estonian: muusikateooria
• Finnish: musiikinteoria
• German: Musiktheorie (de) f
• Hungarian: zeneelmélet (hu)
• Icelandic: tónfræði (is) f
• Irish: teoiric an cheoil f
• Italian: teoria musicale f
• Japanese: 音楽理論 (ongaku riron)
• Malay: teori muzik (ms)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: musikkteori m

  Nynorsk: musikkteori m

• Portuguese: teoria musical f, teoria da música f
• Romanian: teorie muzicală f
• Russian: тео́рия музыки f (teórija muzyki)
• Spanish: teoría musical f
• Swedish: musikteori (sv) c, musiklära c
• Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: nhạc lí

Further reading

• “music theory”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.