笛

• Reading: ふえ
• Romaji: fue
• Kanji breakdown: 笛 (teki/fue) — flute, whistle
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.e/

Meaning

Flute; whistle. A general term for wind instruments played by blowing.

A noun covering various types of flutes and whistles. Specific types include 横笛 (yokobue, transverse flute), 縦笛 (tatebue, recorder), and 口笛 (kuchibue, whistling with the mouth). In sports contexts, 笛 often refers to a referee's whistle. Traditional Japanese flutes like the shinobue and shakuhachi are important in classical music and festivals.

Examples

1. 子供の頃、学校で縦笛を習った。 When I was a kid, I learned to play the recorder at school.
2. 審判が笛を吹いて試合が始まった。 The referee blew the whistle and the game began.
3. お祭りで笛の音が聞こえてきた。 I could hear the sound of flutes coming from the festival.

Usage Guide

Context: music, sports, festivals

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 笛 combines 竹 (bamboo radical) and 由 (origin/reason), reflecting that early Japanese flutes were made from bamboo.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal