A cello — the big string instrument you play sitting down, holding it between your knees, with a deep warm sound below the violin and viola. Violoncello is its full, formal name; cello is the short form that everyone actually uses.

A celloCello（大提琴）——the big string instrument you play sitting down一種坐著演奏的大型弦樂器，holding it between your knees夾在雙膝之間，with a deep warm sound below the violin and viola音色低沉溫暖，比小提琴和中提琴都低。Violoncello is its full, formal nameVioloncello 是它完整、正式的名稱；cello is the short form that everyone actually usescello 則是大家實際上都在用的簡稱。

So when do you meet the long word? On concert programmes, in printed music, in the title of a piece ("Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra"), and in museums. In speech it is almost never used — a cellist says cello, an orchestra says cello, a shop says cello. Using violoncello in conversation sounds either very formal or slightly funny, like saying "omnibus" for bus.

when do you meet the long word什麼時候會遇到這個長的名字呢？On concert programmes在音樂會節目單上、in printed music在印刷樂譜裡、in the title of a piece在曲目標題裡（("Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra")像"Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra"），and in museums還有在博物館裡。In speech it is almost never used在口語裡幾乎不會用它——a cellist says cello大提琴家說 cello，an orchestra says cello樂團說 cello，a shop says cello樂器行也說 cello。Using violoncello in conversation在對話裡用 violoncello sounds either very formal or slightly funny聽起來不是太正式，就是有點好笑，like saying "omnibus" for bus就像用 "omnibus" 來說公車一樣。

The spelling hides a joke about size. The word is built from violone — an old large bass instrument, itself a viola made big — with a small ending added on top. So violoncello means roughly "the little big viola." And cello, our everyday word, is just the tail end of that, which is why it is sometimes still written 'cello with an apostrophe in old scores.

The spelling hides a joke about size這個拼法裡藏著一個關於「大小」的玩笑。The word is built from violone這個字是從 violone 造出來的——an old large bass instrument一種古老的大型低音樂器，itself a viola made big本身就是把 viola 做大——with a small ending added on top再加上一個表示「小」的字尾。So violoncello means roughly "the little big viola."所以 violoncello 大致的意思是「小小的大中提琴」。And cello, our everyday word而我們日常用的 cello，is just the tail end of that其實只是它的字尾部分，which is why it is sometimes still written 'cello with an apostrophe in old scores這也是為什麼在老樂譜裡它有時還寫成帶撇號的 'cello。