排箫 (pāi xiāo) — panpipes

Definition

A traditional Chinese wind instrument made of a row of bamboo pipes of graduated lengths bound together. The measure word is 支 (zhī), like a single instrument.

noun
panpipes
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 排箫。
    Tā xǐ huan chuī pāi xiāo.
    He likes to play the panpipes.
  • 排箫。
    Wǒ zài yuè qì diàn kàn dào yì bǎ pāi xiāo.
    I saw a panpipes at the musical instrument store.
  • 排箫。
    pāi xiāo De shēng yīn zhēn hǎo tīng.
    The sound of panpipes is really nice.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

排páirow
箫xiāoflute

排 'row' and 箫 'flute' combine to name a row of stopped pipes.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi排pái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

排 uses 扌 (hand) to show arranging something with the hand, and 非 for the sound; this gives the sense of placing things in a line.

Open 排 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 簫; 箫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
肅
肅sù簫xiāo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 簫 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 肅, which gives the sound; the simplified 箫 is a later shorthand.

Open 箫 →
Appears in
Music

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