吕 (lǚ) - A pitch-pipe & a musical note in ancient Chinese music

吕Tone 3

lǚ ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 口

林伦

吕 · lǚ

A pitch-pipe;

a musical note in ancient Chinese music;

a surname.

A pitch-pipea musical note in ancient Chinese musica surname.

Usage highlights

Surname LüLü BuPitchLü DongbinLü opera

Synonyms

  • 律— pitch-pipe; musical pitch

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • His surname is Lü (姓吕).
  • In ancient music, there were twelve pitch-pipes (十二律吕).
  • Lü Bu was a famous general in the Three Kingdoms period (吕布).

Collocations

  • Surname Lü(吕姓)
  • Lü Bu(吕布)
  • Pitch-pipe(律吕)
  • Lü Dongbin(吕洞宾)
  • Lü opera(吕剧)

Idioms

  • The Yellow Bell and Great Tube(黄钟大吕)
  • Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals(吕氏春秋)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted two vertebrae or spinal sections, later borrowed for musical pitch-pipes.
  • One of the common Chinese surnames, ranking around 40th in population.
  • Associated with Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals in Daoist mythology.

FAQ