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道Nihongo Path
笛

笛·flute, whistle

On-yomi
テキ
Kun-yomi
ふえ

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

11 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
笛ふえflute, whistle
汽笛きてきsteam whistle
口笛くちぶえwhistling (with the mouth)
警笛けいてきwarning whistle, horn

Example sentences

  1. 先生が笛を吹いた。

    せんせいがふえをふいた。

    The teacher blew the whistle.

  2. 遠くで汽笛が聞こえる。

    とおくできてきがきこえる。

    I can hear a steam whistle in the distance.

  3. 兄は口笛がとても上手だ。

    あにはくちぶえがとてもじょうずだ。

    My older brother is very good at whistling.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 口笛 as くちふえ — it becomes くちぶえ
  • Saying 笛を吹かす — the verb is 吹く: 笛を吹く

Memory aid

Picture it

A length of bamboo (⺮) with a hole through it (由) — blow across it and it sings.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 笛 mean?