Translation guide
A musical piece for two performers, or the act of two people performing together.
Referring to a composition written for two performers.
Used for instrumental duets. The first character 二 means 'two', 重 means 'layered', and 奏 means 'play music'.
バイオリンとピアノの二重奏を聴きました。
I listened to a duet for violin and piano.
Used for vocal duets. The character 唱 means 'sing'.
二人の歌手が美しい二重唱を披露した。
The two singers performed a beautiful duet.
Loanword from English, commonly used for both instrumental and vocal duets, especially in popular music contexts.
この曲は有名なデュエット曲です。
This song is a famous duet.
Refers to a duo (two performers) rather than the piece itself, but often used interchangeably in casual contexts.
彼らは人気のデュオです。
They are a popular duo.
Describing the action or event of two people performing music together.
General phrase meaning 'to perform as two people'. Can be used for any instrument or voice.
彼らはよく二人で演奏します。
They often perform duets.
Verb form of the loanword, meaning 'to duet'. Common in pop music contexts.
あの二人の歌手がデュエットするらしい。
I heard those two singers are going to duet.
Using 'duet' metaphorically for any paired activity or interaction.
Japanese does not typically use 'duet' metaphorically. Instead, describe the paired action directly.
二人で料理を作るのは楽しい。
Cooking together as a duet is fun.
二重奏 is strictly for instrumental duets, 二重唱 for vocal duets. デュエット is a loanword that covers both and is common in everyday speech, especially for pop songs. In formal or classical contexts, the kanji terms are preferred.
English often uses 'duet' figuratively (e.g., 'a duet of flavors'), but Japanese does not. Use 二人で or ペアで instead.
彼らはデュエットを歌った。
They sang a duet.
ピアノの二重奏は見事だった。
The piano duet was exquisite.