"applause": What's the difference between 「喝采」 and 「拍手」?


My dictionary translates both 喝采{かっさい} and 拍手{はくしゅ} as "applause". Are they
interchangeable or do they have different nuances?




There are a couple of differences between the two.

「拍手」 means "clapping hands" and really nothing else.

「喝采」 means "cheering" mainly but clapping can occasionally be naturally
included in the action of cheering.

That is why we often combine the two words to say 「拍手喝采」 ("big applause") to
describe a crowd going crazy.

Another thing I feel like I should mention is that while 「拍手」 sounds fairly
plain and matter-of-fact, 「喝采」 sounds more dramatic.

There is a very famous [song entitled
「喝采」](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsAYvdcwYjU) and it simply _never_ could
have been entitled 「拍手」.




There are a couple of differences between the two.

「拍手」 means "clapping hands" and really nothing else.

「喝采」 means "cheering" mainly but clapping can occasionally be naturally
included in the action of cheering.

That is why we often combine the two words to say 「拍手喝采」 ("big applause") to
describe a crowd going crazy.

Another thing I feel like I should mention is that while 「拍手」 sounds fairly
plain and matter-of-fact, 「喝采」 sounds more dramatic.

There is a very famous [song entitled
「喝采」](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsAYvdcwYjU) and it simply _never_ could
have been entitled 「拍手」.

