📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to playing musical instruments, specifically tuning string instruments and playing bamboo wind instruments. It describes the refined act of performing or enjoying music, often in a leisurely or elegant setting.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Yuan Dynasty play "霍光鬼谏" (Huo Guang's Ghost Remonstrance) by the playwright Yang Zi (杨梓). In the first act, the line reads: "只听的调弦品竹，甚的是论道经邦" (One only hears the tuning of strings and playing of bamboo flutes — what has this to do with discussing governance and managing the state?). The phrase is a variant of the more common "调丝品竹," with "丝" (silk thread, referring to strings) and "竹" (bamboo, referring to woodwind instruments) representing the two main categories of traditional Chinese musical instruments.
💡 Example Usage
宴席上众乐师调弦品竹，宾客尽欢。
At the banquet, the musicians tuned their strings and played their bamboo flutes, and the guests were thoroughly delighted.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 调弦品竹
- Pinyin: diào xián pǐn zhú
- Literal Translation: tune, string, play, bamboo
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4