竽 (yú) - A large ancient Chinese free-reed mouth organ with

竽Tone 2

yú ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

咏与

竽 · yú

A large ancient Chinese free-reed mouth organ with multiple bamboo pipes, used in court and ritual music.

A large ancient Chinese free-reed mouth organ with

Usage highlights

play the yuyu playerancient yuyu musicbamboo yucourt yu

Synonyms

  • 笙— Sheng - a smaller, more modern Chinese mouth organ

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The musician played the yu (吹竽).
  • Yu was an important instrument in ancient court music (宫廷音乐).
  • This museum has a replica of a Warring States period yu (战国时期的竽).
  • The yu produces a rich, harmonious sound (和谐的声音).

Collocations

  • play the yu(吹竽)
  • yu player(吹竽者)
  • ancient yu(古竽)
  • yu music(竽乐)
  • bamboo yu(竹竽)
  • court yu(宫廷竽)

Idioms

  • Languishing in a crowd while playing the yu(滥竽充数)
  • Filling the ensemble by pretending to play the yu(滥竽充数)
  • Playing the yu to deceive the king(滥竽充数)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The yu was a prestigious instrument in ancient Chinese court rituals and ceremonies during the Zhou dynasty and Warring States period.
  • It is famously associated with the idiom '滥竽充数' which criticizes incompetence and deception by pretending to have skills one lacks.
  • As a wind instrument with multiple pipes, the yu represented harmony and order in Confucian ritual music.

FAQ