丙 meaning and stroke order
Third of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1]; third in order; letter "C" or Roman "III" in list "A, B, C", or "I, II, III" etc
How to write 丙, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 丙
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- third of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1]
- third in order
- letter "C" or Roman "III" in list "A, B, C", or "I, II, III" etc
- ancient Chinese compass point: 165°
- propyl
How 丙 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 一 (one), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 丙
丙 (bǐng) is a line 一 placed on top of 内 (nèi, inside). Picture a lid over a box with something inside, and that box is the third one you open: A, B, then C.
丙 is used to mark third place in a sequence, much like "C" in English, especially with 甲 (jiǎ) and 乙 (yǐ) for parties in contracts or grades. It also appears in chemistry for three-carbon compounds, as in 丙烷 (bǐngwán, propane). Example: 他的成绩是丙。(Tā de chéngjì shì bǐng.) His grade was a C.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 丙 (bǐng) with 内 (nèi) because they look almost the same. 丙 has the extra horizontal stroke 一 on top, and its tone is third tone, not fourth. Do not confuse it with 病 (bìng, illness) either, which is fourth tone.
Common words with 丙
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 丙烷 | bǐngwán | propane |
Characters that contain 丙
Learning 丙 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 丙
How many strokes are in 丙?
丙 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 丙 mean?
丙 (bǐng) means third of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1]; third in order; letter "C" or Roman "III" in list "A, B, C", or "I, II, III" etc. A common word with it is 丙烷 (bǐngwán), meaning "propane".
How do you pronounce 丙?
丙 is pronounced bǐng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 丙?
The radical of 丙 is 一, which carries the idea of "one". Dictionaries list 丙 under this radical.
Is 丙 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 丙 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What do 甲, 乙, 丙 mean in a contract?
They work like Party A, Party B, and Party C. 甲方 (jiǎfāng) is the first party, 乙方 (yǐfāng) the second, and 丙方 (bǐngfāng) the third.
Why does 丙 appear in chemical names?
In Chinese organic chemistry, the heavenly stems count carbon atoms, and 丙 means three carbons, or propyl. So 丙烷 (bǐngwán) is propane, and 丙酮 (bǐngtóng) is acetone.