篥 (lì) - A reed instrument & specifically refers to the bili (筚篥), a Chinese

篥Tone 4

lì ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

篥 · lì

A reed instrument;

specifically refers to the bili (筚篥), a Chinese double-reed woodwind instrument.

A reed instrumentspecifically refers to the bili (筚篥), a Chinese

Usage highlights

bili instrumentreed biliancient bilibili musicbili performancebili player

Synonyms

  • 筚篥— bili (the full name of the instrument)
  • 芦管— reed pipe (another name for similar instruments)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He plays the bili reed instrument (吹奏筚篥).
  • The ancient bili was used in court music (古代筚篥用于宫廷音乐).
  • This museum displays a Tang dynasty bili (唐代筚篥).

Collocations

  • bili instrument(筚篥)
  • reed bili(芦笳筚篥)
  • ancient bili(古筚篥)
  • bili music(筚篥曲)
  • bili performance(筚篥演奏)
  • bili player(筚篥手)

Idioms

  • Playing the bili to summon deer(吹篥引鹿)
  • The bili's sound travels far(篥声远扬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The bili (筚篥) originated in Central Asia and was introduced to China during the Han and Tang dynasties.
  • It was an important instrument in Chinese court music, military music, and folk ensembles.
  • The character 篥 specifically refers to this ancient double-reed instrument, similar to a shawm or early oboe.

FAQ