琶

a traditional plucked string instrument

A phono-semantic compound:

珡 — semantic element, indicating a stringed musical instrument

巴 — phonetic element providing the sound "pa"

Originally, 琶 referred specifically to a plucked lute-like instrument, used together with 琵 to form the compound 琵琶. The two characters represent opposite plucking directions on the strings:

琵 — forward plucking

琶 — backward plucking

Thus, 琵琶 is not merely a name but a descriptive term reflecting performance technique.

琶 itself is not used independently in Korean vocabulary and appears only within the compound 琵琶.

琵琶 (비파) — pipa; traditional Chinese lute

琵琶聲 (비파성) — sound of the pipa (literary)

琵琶曲 (비파곡) — pipa music piece

琵琶行 (비파행) — “Song of the Pipa” (title of Bai Juyi’s poem)

The instrument entered Korea (비파) and Japan (びわ) via Tang dynasty cultural transmission.

In East Asian literary culture, 琵琶 symbolizes melancholy, parting, exile, and emotional depth.

In classical poetry, the sound of the pipa often represents unspoken sorrow more powerful than words.

《白居易 琵琶行》 (Bai Juyi, The Song of the Pipa)

「忽聞水上琵琶聲，主人忘歸客不發。」

"Suddenly I heard the sound of a pipa upon the water; the host forgot to leave, the guest forgot to depart."

《白居易 琵琶行》 (Bai Juyi, The Song of the Pipa)

「轉軸撥絃三兩聲，未成曲調先有情。」

"A few turns of the pegs and a few plucks of the strings, and before the melody is formed, the emotion is already there."

Although 琶 rarely appears alone in classical texts, it is inseparable from 琵琶, one of the most iconic instruments in Chinese literary tradition.

Related characters:

琵 — forward plucking

珡 / 琴 — zither; string instrument

瑟 — large ancient zither