song, sing
歌 centers on vocal expression set to melody: a song, or the act of singing. The two senses are tightly linked as the product and the action.
歌 combines 哥 (a phonetic element suggesting sound) with 欠 (a person with an open mouth), together expressing singing or a song.
The left side 哥 looks like two mouths (可 over 可) and the right side 欠 is a person with an open mouth. Imagine a chorus of open mouths singing a song together.
For カ, picture a car with its radio blasting a song: car -> カ, and everyone inside is singing along.
song; singing
to sing
song lyrics; words of a song; libretto
singer
singing voice; (sound of) singing
kabuki; traditional form of drama and music performed by male actors wearing makeup mainly in white and red
song; singing
song; ballad
tanka; 31-mora Japanese poem
national anthem
enka; traditional-style Japanese popular ballad
songstress; diva
opera
karuta; traditional Japanese playing cards, esp. hyakunin isshu karuta or iroha karuta
waka; classic Japanese poem, esp. a tanka, often 31 morae
school song; college song; school anthem
melody; tune; song
poet (of tanka poems)
singing; song
song of praise; eulogy; paean; hymn
collection of waka poems; anthology
Japanese and Chinese poetry
poetry contest
kayōkyoku; form of Japanese popular music that developed during the Showa era
popular song; hit song