卑 meaning and stroke order
Humble, low, inferior; to despise
How to write 卑, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 卑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- low
- base
- vulgar
- inferior
- humble
How 卑 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A hand 又(altered) holding an empty shell 甲 (altered).
Radical: 十 (ten), shared by 23 characters on this site.
How to remember 卑
The etymology shows a hand 又 holding an empty shell 甲, both changed in shape over time. Picture a servant holding up an empty shell, someone of low rank with nothing to offer, and you have 卑 (bēi), low and humble.
卑 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words about low status or bad character, such as 自卑 (zìbēi, low self-esteem), 谦卑 (qiānbēi, humble) and 卑鄙 (bēibǐ, despicable). Example: 他从小就很自卑。(Tā cóngxiǎo jiù hěn zìbēi.) He has felt inferior since he was a child.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 卑 with 碑 (bēi, stone tablet) and 啤 (pí, as in 啤酒 beer), since all three share the same shape. Also, the top of 卑 is not quite 白: its first stroke cuts down through the box and continues as a long left-falling stroke, so do not write a separate 白 sitting on 十.
Common words with 卑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
卑 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 卑
Learning 卑 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 卑
How many strokes are in 卑?
卑 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 卑 mean?
卑 (bēi) means humble, low, inferior; to despise. A common word with it is 卑鄙 (bēibǐ), meaning "base; mean".
How do you pronounce 卑?
卑 is pronounced bēi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 卑?
The radical of 卑 is 十, which carries the idea of "ten". Dictionaries list 卑 under this radical.
Is 卑 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 卑 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 卑鄙 a strong insult?
Yes. 卑鄙 means despicable or contemptible and is a harsh moral judgment, often used for underhanded behavior. Calling someone 卑鄙 is much stronger than saying they are rude.
Is 谦卑 a positive or negative word?
谦卑 (qiānbēi) is usually positive and means humble or modest. In contrast, 卑微 (bēiwēi) and 卑贱 (bēijiàn) describe low social status, and 卑劣 (bēiliè) and 卑鄙 describe bad character.