tỳ bà
Definition
- Noun:
- A pear-shaped lute: A traditional stringed musical instrument with a flat, round soundboard (body) resembling a pear or a gourd, a bent neck, and typically four strings, played by plucking.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Cô ấy chơi tỳ bà rất điêu luyện. (She plays the tỳ bà very skillfully.)
- Âm thanh của cây tỳ bà nghe rất du dương. (The sound of the tỳ bà is very melodious.)
- Tỳ bà là một nhạc cụ quan trọng trong âm nhạc truyền thống Việt Nam. (The tỳ bà is an important instrument in traditional Vietnamese music.)
Advanced Usage
- The has a long history in East Asian music, particularly in China, Vietnam, and Japan (where it is known as the ). It is often associated with classical ensembles, storytelling, and elegant, refined performances.
- In literary and historical contexts, the is famously linked to figures like Vương Chiêu Quân (Wang Zhaojun), a legendary Chinese beauty said to have played it exquisitely.
Variants and Related Words
- Đàn tỳ bà: This is a more complete term, where "đàn" means "string instrument." It is often used interchangeably with just "tỳ bà."
- Nghệ sĩ biểu diễn trên cây đàn tỳ bà cổ. (The artist performed on an ancient đàn tỳ bà.)
Synonyms
- Lute: A general term for a stringed instrument with a neck and a deep round back.
- Pear-shaped lute: A more specific descriptive synonym.
Related Idioms and Cultural References
- "Tiếng tỳ bà" (The sound of the ): Often used poetically to describe captivating, sorrowful, or deeply moving music.
- Câu chuyện buồn như tiếng tỳ bà. (The sad story is like the sound of the tỳ bà.)
- The instrument is a central motif in the famous Vietnamese epic poem "Truyện Kiều" (The Tale of Kiều) by Nguyễn Du, where the protagonist Thúy Kiều is a talented player, and her playing symbolizes her talent, sorrow, and fate.