Dictionary

erhu en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɚˈhuː/
• ŭr′ho͞o′
• /ˈɜːhuː/

Etymology

From Mandarin 二胡 (èrhú), from 二 (èr, “two”) + 胡 (hú, “fiddle; short for 胡琴, a family of Chinese vertical fiddles”).

Meanings

1. A type of bowed spike fiddle having two strings, originating in China as part of the huqin family of string instruments.
   • A rugged, handsome woman who can plant five fields in the time it takes others to plant one, Lu reveals her inner self by playing sweet music on the ehru ^([sic]) in a deserted factory site. 1994 October, Andrea Freud Loewenstein, “No More Happy Endings”, in Gay Community News, page 28:
   • At Kurban’s school, traditional Chinese culture is woven into every aspect of campus life. [...] Two to four times a week, they [the students] attend classes in music and art, mastering instruments like the erhu, or two-stringed fiddle, singing Peking Opera and painting in traditional Chinese styles. 2026 March 12, Li Qing, “A Vision Takes Root”, in Beijing Review, volume 69, number 11, via EBSCOhost, →ISSN, pages 26-27:
   • Searches on Craigslist turned up no ads for erhus, wanted or offered, though there was a posting for an instrument found on the Lower East Side (the owner must identify the instrument). 2009 March 10, Jennifer 8. Lee, “Cherished Instrument Is Gone, and to Its Owner, Loss Is Like a Death”, in New York Times:

Forms

Translations (16)

ca erhu (Chinese fiddle) · yue 二胡 (Chinese fiddle) · pl erhu (Chinese fiddle) · cmn 南胡 (Chinese fiddle) · cmn 二弦 (Chinese fiddle) · sv erhu (Chinese fiddle) · nan-hbl 二胡 (Chinese fiddle) · eo nanhuo (Chinese fiddle) · cmn 二胡 (Chinese fiddle) · ru эрху́ (Chinese fiddle) · vi nhị hồ (Chinese fiddle) · ja 二胡 (Chinese fiddle) · ko 얼후 (Chinese fiddle) · ko 이호 (Chinese fiddle) · fr erhu (Chinese fiddle) · eo erhuo (Chinese fiddle)