How to Write 笛 (dí) — Meaning “flute”

Imagine a bamboo (竹) plant that grows into a tube shape, and you blow into it to make a tune. The bottom part 由 looks like a person with their mouth open, blowing air into the flute.

Write the bamboo radical 竹 first: two similar halves, each with left-falling stroke, then horizontal, then vertical. The bottom 由 must be centered; its vertical stroke goes straight down through all three horizontal lines. A common mistake is making the 由 too narrow or unbalanced.

笛 (dí) means a flute, 竽 (yú) is an ancient reed mouth organ, and 竿 (gān) is a bamboo pole or rod. Visually, 笛 has 由 below, 竽 has 于, and 竿 has 干. All share the bamboo radical but differ in the bottom component and meaning.

笛 appears in common words like 笛子 (dí zi) for a bamboo flute, 汽笛 (qì dí) for a steam whistle on trains or ships, and 笛声 (dí shēng) for the sound of a flute. The bamboo flute is a traditional Chinese instrument often heard in folk music and classical performances.

Common words containing 笛 include: 笛子 (dí zi) — bamboo flute; 汽笛 (qì dí) — Steam whistle / siren; 笛声 (dí shēng) — sound of a flute.