笛 (dí) — bamboo flute; flute; whistle

Definition

noun
bamboo fluteflutewhistle
Measure word · 支
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā xǐ huan chuī dí zi.
    He likes to play the flute.
  • 。
    Zhè zhī dí zi shì yòng zhú zi zuò de.
    This flute is made of bamboo.
  • 。
    Tā mǎi le yì zhī xīn dí zi.
    She bought a new flute.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu笛dí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

笛 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 由 as a sound part. The bamboo part shows the object is made of bamboo.

Appears in
Music

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