吹

See also: 欥

吹	U+5439, 吹 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5439

← 吸
[U+5438]

CJK Unified Ideographs

吺 →
[U+543A]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

吹 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 口弓人 (RNO), four-corner 6708₂, composition ⿰口欠)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 179, character 13
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3373
Dae Jaweon: page 397, character 7
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 593, character 3
Unihan data for U+5439

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 吹
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (吹) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
吹	kʰjol, kʰjols
炊	*kʰjol
焁	qʰral, qʰel

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 口 (“mouth”) + 欠 (“blow”).

Pronunciation 1

simp. and trad.		吹
alternative forms		𠷕龡 ancient 䶴 "to play music"

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): chuī (chui¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄔㄨㄟ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cui¹

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): чуй (čuy, I)
Cantonese (Jyutping): ceoi¹
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chhôi
Jin (Wiktionary): cui¹
Eastern Min (BUC): chuŏi
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): chhe / chher / chhoe / chhui

(Teochew, Peng'im): cuê¹
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹tshy

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chuī
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄟ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: chuei
  - Wade–Giles: chʻui¹
  - Yale: chwēi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chuei
  - Palladius: чуй (čuj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: cui¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cui
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuei⁵⁵/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: чуй (čuy, I)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰuei²⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: ceoi¹
  - Yale: chēui
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsoey¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: cêu¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɵy̯⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhôi
  - Hakka Romanization System: coi^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: coi¹
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰoi̯²⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: cui¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰuei¹¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: chuŏi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰui⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei, Hsinchu, Magong, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhe
  - Tâi-lô: tshe
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zhef
  - IPA (Philippines): /t͡sʰe³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /t͡sʰe⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Hsinchu)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chher
  - Tâi-lô: tsher
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Lukang): /t͡sʰə³³/
  - IPA (Kinmen): /t͡sʰə⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhoe
  - Tâi-lô: tshue
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zhoef
  - IPA (Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan): /t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhui
  - Tâi-lô: tshui
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zhuy
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰui³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰui⁴⁴/

Note:

chhe/chher/chhoe - vernacular;
chhui - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: cuê¹
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshue
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰue³³/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹tshy
  - MiniDict: tshy^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tshr
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰz̩⁵³/

Middle Chinese: tsyhwe

Rime
Character	吹
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	昌 (24)
Final (韻)	支 (12)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	昌垂切
Baxter	tsyhwe
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕʰiuᴇ/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕʰʷiɛ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕʰjuɛ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cʰwiə̆/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕʰiue/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕʰǐwe/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡ɕʰwie̯/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chuī
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ceoi¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*tʰo[r]/

(Zhengzhang): /*kʰjol/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	吹
Reading #	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chuī
Middle Chinese	‹ tsyhwe ›
Old Chinese	/*tʰo[r]/
English	blow (v.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	吹
Reading #	1/2
No.	1653
Phonetic component	吹
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	吹
Old Chinese	/*kʰjol/

Definitions

吹

to blow; to puff
吹氣球／吹气球 ― chuī qìqiú ― to blow up a balloon
(of wind) to blow
- 野火燒不盡，春風吹又生。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  野火烧不尽，春风吹又生。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: circa 787, Bai Juyi, 賦得古原草送別
  Yěhuǒ shāo bùjìn, chūnfēng chuī yòu shēng. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
1. (of typhoon) to hit; to strike
to blow; to play a wind instrument
吹口琴 ― chuī kǒuqín ― to play the harmonica
- 客有吹洞簫者，倚歌而和之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  客有吹洞箫者，倚歌而和之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: 1082, Su Shi, 前赤壁賦
  Kè yǒu chuī dòngxiāo zhě, yǐgē ér hè zhī. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
(colloquial) to brag; to boast
繼續吹吖！／继续吹吖！ [Cantonese] ― gai³ zuk⁶ ceoi¹ aa¹! [Jyutping] ― Please continue bragging. (sarcastic)
(colloquial) to drink alcoholic beverages directly from a bottle
(colloquial, of a plan) to fall through; (of relationship) to break down
(Cantonese) Short for 吹水.
(Cantonese) Short for 吹脹／吹胀 (ceoi¹ zoeng³).
你吹呀？ [Cantonese] ― nei⁵ ceoi¹ aa⁴? [Jyutping] ― What can you do to me? (offensive)
(ACG) to like
吹爆 ― chuī bào ― to like very much

全員吹／全员吹 ― quányuán chuī ― someone who likes everyone (in the anime)
Misspelling of 催 (cuī, “to urge”).

Synonyms

(to play a wind instrument): 吹奏 (chuīzòu)
(to brag):

edit

口大 (kǒudà) (obsolete)
吹噓／吹嘘 (chuīxū)
吹水 (chuīshuǐ) (chiefly Cantonese)
吹牛 (chuīniú) (colloquial)
吹牛三 (¹tshy ⁶gnieu-se) (Wu)
吹牛屄 (chuīniúbī)
吹牛皮 (chuī niúpí) (colloquial)
呾卵話／呾卵话 (dan³ lang⁶ uê⁷) (Teochew)
喝仙 (hoah-sian) (Hokkien)
嗙虎膦 (phâng-fú-lín) (Southern Sixian Hakka)
嗙雞胲／嗙鸡胲 (phâng-kiê-kôi) (Hakka)
好臉／好脸 (Hokkien, Teochew)
拉空 (la¹ kang¹) (Teochew)
拉誧／拉𰵩 (la¹ pu²) (Teochew)
放空 (pàng-khang) (Hokkien)
放臭屁 (pàng-chhàu-phùi) (Taiwanese Hokkien)
放風球／放风球 (pàng-hoang-kiû) (Quanzhou Hokkien)
放風龜／放风龟 (pàng-hong-ku) (Xiamen Hokkien)
歕雞胲／𬅫鸡胲 (phùn-kiê-kôi) (Zhao'an Hakka)
歕雞胿／𬅫鸡胿 (pûn-ke-kui) (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien, Taiwanese Hokkien)
白話／白话 (báihua) (regional)
相空 (siàng-khang) (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
矜人 (jīnrén) (literary)
紅膏／红膏 (Puxian Min)
練扇空／练扇空 (liān-siàn-khang) (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
膨風／膨风 (phòng-hong) (Hokkien)
自矜 (zìjīn)
自誇／自夸 (zìkuā)
自詡／自诩 (zìxǔ)
表功 (biǎogōng) (to brag about one's contributions)
誇／夸 (kuā)
誇口／夸口 (kuākǒu)
誇喙／夸喙 (kuă-*chói) (Eastern Min)
誇耀／夸耀 (kuāyào)
說大話／说大话 (shuō dàhuà)
講嘐潲話／讲嘐潲话 (kóng hau-siâu-uē) (Hokkien)
講空／讲空 (kàng-khang) (Quanzhou Hokkien)
車大炮／车大炮 (Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew)
風龜／风龟 (hong-ku) (Hokkien)
鼓吹 (gǔchuī)

Dialectal synonyms of 說大話 (“to brag; to boast; to talk big”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		說大話, 誇口, 吹噓, 誇口, 矜人, 自誇, 自詡
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	吹牛, 說大話, 吹大炮
	Harbin	吹大氣兒, 吹牛屄, 吹呼, 吹著嘮, 誇嘴, 吹
	Singapore	吹牛, 說大話
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	吹牛屄, 吹牛兒, 吹
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	吹牛屄
	Wanrong	吹牛, 吹
	Xi'an	吹牛屄, 吹牛
	Xining	斬大話
	Xuzhou	吹牛屄
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	吹牛屄
Southwestern Mandarin	Guiyang	衝殼子, 吹殼子, 吹牛殼, 衝牛殼
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	吹牛, 吹牛屄, 吹
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	吹牛
Cantonese	Guangzhou	講大話, 放葫蘆, 吹牛觱, 車大炮, 吹
	Hong Kong	車大炮, 吹, 吹水
	Taishan	吹牛, 車大炮
	Dongguan	放葫蘆
Gan	Nanchang	吹牛屄
	Lichuan	吹膨兒
	Pingxiang	吹蒙子
Hakka	Meixian	車大炮
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	吹牛, 膨風, 嗙雞胲, 講天缺, 落下頷, 屙痢屙肚
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	吹牛, 膨風, 嗙雞胲, 講天缺, 歕雞胲, 嗙虎膦
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	吹牛, 膨風, 嗙雞胲, 講天缺, 落下頷, 屙痢屙肚
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	吹牛, 膨風, 嗙雞胲, 講天缺, 落下頷, 屙屙膿膿
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	膨風, 嗙雞胲, 講天缺, 落下頷, 屙痢屙肚
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	膨風, 歕雞胲, 臭彈, 落下頷, 屙膿屙血
Huizhou	Jixi	吹牛屄, 吹卵脬, 吹
Jin	Taiyuan	吹牛屄
Jin	Xinzhou	吹達, 吹牛屄
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	誇喙
Southern Min	Xiamen	風龜, 風神, 風龜神, 放風龜, 相空, 歕風, 歕雞胿, 放空, 膨風, 喝仙
	Quanzhou	風龜, 風神, 風龜神, 放風球, 講空, 歕風, 放空, 膨風, 喝仙
	Zhangzhou	風龜, 風神, 風龜神, 相空, 練扇空, 歕風, 歕雞胿, 放空, 膨風, 喝仙, 喝
	Taipei	歕雞胿
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	歕雞胿
	Kaohsiung	臭彈, 歕雞胿
	Yilan	臭彈, 歕雞胿
	Changhua (Lukang)	臭彈
	Taichung	歕雞胿, 烏白講
	Tainan	臭彈, 歕雞胿, 膨風, 畫虎𡳞, 放臭屁 GT, 放屁 GT, 講大聲話 GT
	Hsinchu	歕雞胿, 膨風
	Kinmen	歕雞胿
	Penghu (Magong)	歕雞胿
	Penang (Hokkien)	好臉
	Singapore (Hokkien)	好臉
	Manila (Hokkien)	喝仙, 放風
	Shantou	呾大話, 車大炮, 拉空, 拉誧
	Jieyang	呾大話, 車大炮, 拉空, 拉誧, 喝
	Singapore (Teochew)	好臉
Wu	Shanghai	吹牛屄, 吹牛三
	Shanghai (Chongming)	吹牛屄
	Suzhou	吹牛屄, 吹牛三, 牛屄
	Danyang	吹牛屄
	Hangzhou	吹牛屄
	Ningbo	吹牛屄, 扯蛋, 扯老蛋, 講大話
Xiang	Loudi	吹牛皮
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

(to fall through): 吹臺／吹台 (chuītái), 告吹 (gàochuī)

Compounds

一吹一唱
一風吹／一风吹 (yīfēngchuī)
吹冷風／吹冷风 (chuī lěngfēng)
吹功 (chuīgōng)
吹口哨 (chuī kǒushào)
吹呼
吹啦
吹喇叭 (chuī lǎba)
吹噓／吹嘘 (chuīxū)
吹大氣／吹大气
吹大炮 (chuī dàpào)
吹奏 (chuīzòu)
吹奏樂器／吹奏乐器 (chuīzòu yuèqì)
吳市吹簫／吴市吹箫
吹彈／吹弹
吹影鏤塵／吹影镂尘
吹手
吹打 (chuīdǎ)
吹打樂／吹打乐 (chuīdǎyuè)
吹拂 (chuīfú)
吹指
吹捧 (chuīpěng)
吹擂
吹樂器／吹乐器
吹毛
吹毛取瑕
吹毛毛
吹毛求瑕
吹毛求疵 (chuīmáoqiúcī)
吹毛索疵
吹氣勝蘭／吹气胜兰
吹氣球／吹气球
吹法螺
吹火
吹灰
吹灰之力 (chuīhuīzhīlì)
吹燈／吹灯
吹燈兒／吹灯儿
吹牛 (chuīniú)
吹牛大王 (chuīniú dàwáng)
吹牛皮 (chuī niúpí)
吹玻璃
吹皺一池春水／吹皱一池春水 (chuī zhòu yīchí chūn shuǐ)
吹竹
吹筒
吹管 (chuīguǎn)
吹箭
吹簫／吹箫 (chuīxiāo)
吹簫吳市／吹箫吴市
吹糖
吹糖人兒／吹糖人儿
吹糠見米／吹糠见米
吹網／吹网
吹脣／吹唇
吹腔 (chuīqiāng)
吹臺／吹台 (chuītái)
吹葭
吹蝕／吹蚀 (chuīshí)
吹蝕作用／吹蚀作用
吹蝕穴／吹蚀穴 (chuīshíxué)
吹襲／吹袭 (chuīxí)
吹起捏塌
吹送流
吹釉
吹銃／吹铳
吹雲／吹云
吹風／吹风 (chuīfēng)
吹風機／吹风机 (chuīfēngjī)
吹風胡哨／吹风胡哨
吹鬍子／吹胡子
吹鼓手 (chuīgǔshǒu)
噓枯吹生／嘘枯吹生
因風吹火／因风吹火
大力鼓吹
大吹
大吹大擂 (dàchuīdàléi)
大吹法螺 (dàchuīfǎluó)
大吹牛皮
大肆吹噓／大肆吹嘘
引風吹火／引风吹火
弦吹
懲羹吹齏／惩羹吹齑 (chénggēngchuījī)
斬草不除根，春風吹又生／斩草不除根，春风吹又生 (zhǎn cǎo bù chúgēn, chūnfēng chuī yòu shēng)
日炙風吹／日炙风吹
橫吹／横吹 (héngchuī)
清吹
胡吹亂滂／胡吹乱滂
胡吹亂謅／胡吹乱诌
胡吹大氣／胡吹大气
自吹自擂 (zìchuīzìléi)
自我吹噓／自我吹嘘
超吹 (chāochuī)
鏤塵吹影／镂尘吹影
雨打風吹／雨打风吹
電吹風／电吹风 (diànchuīfēng)
順風吹火／顺风吹火
風吹浪打／风吹浪打
風吹砂／风吹砂
風吹草低／风吹草低
風吹草動／风吹草动 (fēngchuīcǎodòng)
風吹雨打／风吹雨打 (fēngchuīyǔdǎ)
馬上吹／马上吹
鬼吹燈／鬼吹灯
麵杖吹火／面杖吹火
鼓吹

Pronunciation 2

simp. and trad.		吹
alternative forms		䶴 (wind instruments)

Mandarin
(Pinyin): chuì (chui⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄔㄨㄟˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ceoi³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chuì
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: chuèi
  - Wade–Giles: chʻui⁴
  - Yale: chwèi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chuey
  - Palladius: чуй (čuj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

Note: in 鼓吹 (gǔchuī), Mainland Standard Chinese uses chuī for all senses.

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: ceoi³
  - Yale: cheui
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsoey³
  - Guangdong Romanization: cêu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɵy̯³³/

Middle Chinese: tsyhweH

Rime
Character	吹
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	昌 (24)
Final (韻)	支 (12)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	尺僞切
Baxter	tsyhweH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕʰiuᴇ^H/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕʰʷiɛ^H/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕʰjuɛ^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cʰwiə̆^H/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕʰiue^H/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕʰǐwe^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡ɕʰwie̯^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chuì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ceoi³

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*tʰo[r]-s/

(Zhengzhang): /*kʰjols/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	吹
Reading #	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chuì
Middle Chinese	‹ tsyhwe^H ›
Old Chinese	/*tʰo[r]-s/
English	musical concert
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	吹
Reading #	2/2
No.	1655
Phonetic component	吹
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	吹
Old Chinese	/*kʰjols/

Definitions

吹

^⁜ wind instruments; music performed with wind instruments
(literary) wind

Compounds

References

“Entry #2981”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.

Japanese

Kanji

吹

(Jōyō kanji)

To blow (such as an instrument)

Readings

Compounds

吹(すい)禅(ぜん) (suizen): "blowing meditation"
吹(ふ)き鳴(な)らす (fukinarasu): "to blow"

Korean

Etymology

Historical spelling: ᄎᆔ (Yale: chywi), see Gale (1897, p. 1094).

Hanja

吹 (eumhun 불 취 (bul chwi))

hanja form^? of 취 (“to blow”)

References

Gale, James S.: A Korean-English Dictionary. Yokohama: Kelly & Walsh, 1897.

Vietnamese

Han character

吹: Hán Nôm readings: xuy, xi, xơi, xoe, xôi, xuê, xúy/xuý, xùi, xì, xỉ, xua, xuề, xuế, xuể, xui, xủi, xuôi

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