琵
glissando on strings, lute
Readings
On'yomi
- ビ
- ヒ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
琵 centers on a stringed musical instrument, specifically a lute, and the glissando technique of sliding across its strings. The two meanings are closely linked: the instrument and a characteristic way of playing it.
Most common words using 琵
- 琵琶湖びわこ
Lake Biwa; Biwako
- 琵琶びわ
biwa (Japanese lute)
- 平家琵琶へいけびわ
Heike biwa; Heike lute; biwa with 4 strings and 5 frets, esp. for accompanying the Heike Monogatari
- 楽琵琶がくびわ
large 4-stringed biwa used in gagaku
- 琵琶の琴びわのこと
biwa (4 or 5-stringed Oriental lute)
- 琵琶法師びわほうし
lute priest; minstrel; blind travelling biwa player dressed like a Buddhist monk
- 琵琶湖大鯰びわこおおなまず
Lake Biwa catfish (Silurus biwaensis)
- 琵琶牧々びわぼくぼく
biwa-bokuboku; yōkai in the shape of a Buddhist priest with the head of a biwa
- 琵琶笛びやぼん
Edo-period mouth harp (with a hairpin-like frame and a long straight tongue)
- 琵琶行びわこう
biwa song
- 琵琶鰉びわひがい
Biwa oily gudgeon (Sarcocheilichthys variegatus microoculus)
- 琵琶鱒びわます
biwa trout (Oncorhynchus masou rhodurus); biwa salmon
- 薩摩琵琶さつまびわ
Satsuma biwa; Satsuma lute
Study
Etymology
琵 is a phono-semantic compound: the top 玨 (two pieces of jade) suggests a stringed instrument often adorned with jade, while the bottom 比 (compare) likely contributes the sound. It is part of the word 琵琶 (biwa), a traditional Japanese lute.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 玨 looks like two jade ornaments on a lute, and the bottom 比 suggests comparing the smooth sliding sounds. Picture a lute with jade inlays, and your fingers gliding across the strings.
Reading mnemonic
For ビ, imagine a bee landing on the strings of a lute and making a buzzing glissando: bee -> ビ.