Chinese character 篪

An old Chinese bamboo pipe played across the mouth.

The Book of Odes, a classical collection of Chinese poems, pairs it with 埙, another instrument. Traditional descriptions agree that 篪 is played across the mouth, but differ on some construction details.

Treat 篪 as the name of a specific historical instrument; “flute” is only a broad gloss.

What does 篪 mean in 埙篪?

The pair carries the harmony metaphor.

埙篪相和 describes the instruments harmonizing; later literary use extends that image to brothers living in accord. In a message, the phrase reads as classical praise for family harmony.

A bare 篪 names the instrument; the metaphor depends on the pairing.

篪 and 笛 are not interchangeable

竾, 箎, and 䶵 are recorded variant forms of 篪; their different shapes can reflect a spelling choice, not a different instrument.

Music historians distinguish 篪 from other transverse pipes, while the identification of some excavated examples remains disputed. Use 篪 for this specific historical instrument, not as a label for every ancient flute.