In Japanese, “karaoke” literally means “empty orchestra.”

  • kara (空) = empty, nonexistent, without something
  • oke (オケ) = short for okesutora (オーケストラ), “orchestra”

So the idea is that you’re singing along to music where the live band (the orchestra) is “empty” or missing, and your voice fills that space. Over time, the word came to refer to the whole activity of singing with recorded backing tracks in bars, clubs, and private rooms.

In other words, when you do karaoke, you’re performing with an empty “orchestra” track that’s waiting for your voice.

TL;DR: “Karaoke” = kara (empty) + oke (orchestra) → “empty orchestra.”

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