尺八

Chinese

		a Chinese foot (M); one-third of a metre; a ruler a Chinese foot (M); one-third of a metre; a ruler; a note musical note on traditional Chinese scale	eight
trad. (尺八)		尺	八
simp. #(尺八)		尺	八

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chǐbā

  (Zhuyin): ㄔˇ ㄅㄚ

• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): cioh⁴ boih⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chǐbā
    • Zhuyin: ㄔˇ ㄅㄚ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chǐhba
    • Wade–Giles: chʻih³-pa¹
    • Yale: chř-bā
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyyba
    • Palladius: чиба (čiba)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pä⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: cioh⁴ boih⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshioh poih
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰioʔ²⁻⁴ poiʔ²/

Noun

尺八

1. (music) shakuhachi

Proper noun

尺八

1. (～鎮) Chiba (a town in Jianli, Jingzhou, Hubei, China)

Japanese

尺(しゃく)八(はち) (shakuhachi)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
尺	八
しゃく Grade: 6	はち Grade: 1
on'yomi

From 尺(しゃく) (shaku, archaic measure of length approximately equal to 30.3 cm) + 八(はち) (hachi, “eight”, as in 八(はち)寸(すん) (hachi sun), one 寸(すん) (sun) is about 3.03 cm). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “first attestation of "shakuhachi" as the flute?”)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しゃくはち [shàkúháchí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɕa̠kɯ̟ha̠t͡ɕi]

Noun

尺(しゃく)八(はち) • (shakuhachi) 

1. shakuhachi, a Japanese end-blown flute

   時代劇(じだいげき)では、虚無僧(こむそう)が尺八(しゃくはち)を吹(ふ)きながら現(あらわ)れる。

   Jidaigeki de wa, komusō ga shakuhachi o fukinagara arawareru.

   In Japanese historical drama, mendicant Zen priests show up while playing shakuhachi.

2. (by extension) any object (for example, paper or silk) measuring one 尺(しゃく) (shaku) and eight 寸(すん) (sun) (approximately 54.5 centimeters)
3. (vulgar, dated) fellatio, oral sex

Descendants

• → Korean: 사까시 (sakkasi, “fellatio”)

See also

• 吹禅(すいぜん) (suizen, “blowing meditation”)
• 普化禅(ふけぜん) (“Fuke Zen”)