Add to Chrome

Free · 40 words

Chinese musical instruments

Print as flashcards
Speed

Plucked strings

  1. gǔ古zhēng筝

    guzheng (Chinese zither)

  2. gǔ古qín琴

    guqin (seven-stringed zither)

  3. pí琵pa琶

    pipa (Chinese lute)

  4. yáng扬qín琴

    yangqin; Chinese hammered dulcimer

  5. liǔ柳qín琴

    liuqin (small pear-shaped lute)

  6. ruǎn阮

    ruan (plucked string instrument)

  7. sān三xián弦

    sanxian (three-stringed plucked instrument)

Bowed strings

  1. èr二hú胡

    erhu (two-stringed Chinese fiddle)

  2. jīng京hú胡

    jinghu (Peking opera fiddle)

  3. bǎn板hú胡

    banhu (two-stringed bowed instrument)

  4. mǎ马tóu头qín琴

    morin khuur; horsehead fiddle

Winds

  1. dí笛zi子

    bamboo flute

  2. xiāo箫

    xiao (vertical bamboo flute)

  3. suǒ唢nà呐

    suona (Chinese double-reed horn)

  4. shēng笙

    sheng (Chinese reed mouth organ)

  5. hú葫lu芦sī丝

    hulusi; cucurbit flute (wind instrument from Yunnan)

  6. bā巴wū乌

    bawu (bamboo free-reed pipe)

Drums, gongs and bells

  1. gǔ鼓

    drum

  2. luó锣

    gong

  3. bó钹

    cymbal

  4. biān编zhōng钟

    chime bells (ancient instrument)

  5. mù木yú鱼

    wooden fish (Buddhist percussion instrument)

Western instruments in Chinese

  1. gāng钢qín琴

    piano

  2. xiǎo小tí提qín琴

    violin

  3. dà大tí提qín琴

    cello

  4. jí吉tā他

    guitar

  5. cháng长dí笛

    flute

  6. sà萨kè克sī斯

    saxophone

  7. xiǎo小hào号

    trumpet

  8. jià架zi子gǔ鼓

    drum kit; drum set

  9. kǒu口qín琴

    harmonica

  10. shǒu手fēng风qín琴

    accordion

Music words and sayings

  1. yuè乐qì器

    musical instrument

  2. mín民yuè乐

    Chinese folk music; traditional Chinese instrumental music

  3. yuè乐duì队

    band; orchestra

  4. qín琴

    general term for stringed or keyboard instruments

  5. zhī知yīn音

    close friend who truly understands one; kindred spirit

  6. gāo高shān山liú流shuǐ水

    friendship of kindred spirits

  7. duì对niú牛tán弹qín琴

    to cast pearls before swine

  8. qín琴qí棋shū书huà画

    music, chess, calligraphy and painting (the four arts of a scholar)

What are the most famous Chinese instruments?

古筝 (gǔzhēng, guzheng), 二胡 (èrhú, erhu), 琵琶 (pípa, pipa) and 笛子 (dízi, bamboo flute) are the ones most often heard in Chinese music today.

What is the difference between the guzheng and the guqin?

Both are zithers. 古琴 (gǔqín, guqin) has seven strings and was the instrument of scholars, first of 琴棋书画 (qínqíshūhuà, music, chess, calligraphy and painting); 古筝 (gǔzhēng, guzheng) is larger, with many more strings.

How do you say “play an instrument” in Chinese?

The verb follows how it is played: 弹 (tán) for plucked strings and keyboards (弹钢琴, 弹吉他), 拉 (lā) for bowed strings (拉二胡, 拉小提琴), 吹 (chuī) for winds (吹笛子) and 打 (dǎ) or 敲 (qiāo) for drums (打鼓).

What does 知音 mean?

知音 (zhīyīn, close friend who truly understands one): literally “one who knows the tone”. It comes from a story about music, also told as 高山流水 (gāoshānliúshuǐ, friendship of kindred spirits).

Can’t hear it?

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each character in our recorded voice instead.

More on music

Names, pinyin and what each instrument is from our own dictionary.