呂 (lǚ) - A pitch-pipe & a musical note

呂Tone 3

lǚ ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 口

林伦

呂 · lǚ

A pitch-pipe;

a musical note;

a surname;

also refers to the spine or backbone in ancient usage.

A pitch-pipea musical notea surname

Usage highlights

Surname LüPitchMusical noteLü BuLü DongbinSpine/backbone

Synonyms

  • 吕— Simplified form of 呂
  • 脊— spine, backbone
  • 律— musical pitch, law

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He has the surname Lü (姓呂).
  • In ancient China, pitch-pipes (呂律) were used for tuning music.
  • The twelve pitch-pipes (十二呂) were important in traditional Chinese music theory.
  • Lü Bu (呂布) was a famous general in the Three Kingdoms period.

Collocations

  • Surname Lü(呂姓)
  • Pitch-pipe(呂管)
  • Musical note(呂音)
  • Lü Bu(呂布)
  • Lü Dongbin(呂洞賓)
  • Spine/backbone(呂脊)

Idioms

  • Yellow Bell and Great Lü(黄鐘大呂)
  • Lü's family instructions(呂氏家訓)
  • Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals(呂氏春秋)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted the spine or vertebrae, later borrowed for musical pitch-pipes due to similar segmented appearance.
  • One of the common Chinese surnames, ranked about 47th in China.
  • In music theory, refers to one of the twelve pitch standards in traditional Chinese music.

FAQ