How to Write 篪 (chí) — Meaning “ancient bamboo flute with eight holes”

Imagine a bamboo flute (竹) with eight holes. The bottom part 虒 looks like a person blowing into a curved flute, helping you remember that 篪 is a type of ancient flute.

The top 竹 radical should be written first, with both left and right parts balanced equally. The bottom 虒 has a small hook on the left stroke; avoid making the bottom too tall or narrow, as the character needs stable proportions.

篪 (chí) is a bamboo flute, while 箅 (bì) is a bamboo sieve or strainer for cooking, and 箍 (gū) means a hoop or band, often made of metal. Visually, 篪 has 虒 underneath, 箅 has 畀, and 箍 has 箍 with a metal radical (钅) on the left.

篪 is rarely used in daily life because it is an ancient instrument. You may encounter it in classical literature or in the idiom 埙篪 (xūn chí), which refers to two ancient instruments played together and metaphorically means brotherly harmony.

Common words containing 篪 include: 吹篪 (chuī chí) — to play the chi (ancient flute); 篪声 (chí shēng) — the sound of the chi flute; 埙篪 (xūn chí) — Xun and chi (ancient instruments); brotherly harmony..