备 meaning and stroke order
To prepare; to get ready, to equip; ready; perfect
How to write 备, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 备
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to prepare; to equip
- (literary) fully; completely
- variant of 備|备[bei4]
How 备 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To go 夂 to the farm 田 to prepare for a harvest.
Radical: 夂 (to go), shared by 10 characters on this site.
How to remember 备
The top part 夂 looks like a pair of feet walking, and the bottom 田 is a field. Picture someone walking out to the field 田 to get everything ready before the harvest.
备 (bèi) rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words like 准备 (zhǔnbèi, to prepare), 设备 (shèbèi, equipment) and 备用 (bèiyòng, spare). Example: 我准备好了。(Wǒ zhǔnbèi hǎo le.) I am ready.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 夕 or 久 instead of 夂, or swap the bottom 田 for 由 or 甲. Also keep the fourth tone bèi, not bēi as in 杯 (bēi, cup).
Common words with 备
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 准备 | zhǔnbèi | preparation; to prepare | HSK 1 |
| 设备 | shèbèi | equipment; facilities; installations | HSK 3 |
| 具备 | jùbèi | to possess; to have | HSK 4 |
| 预备 | yùbèi | to prepare; to make ready | HSK 5 |
| 配备 | pèibèi | to allocate; to provide | HSK 5 |
| 装备 | zhuāngbèi | equipment; to equip | HSK 6 |
| 备用 | bèiyòng | reserve; spare | HSK 7-9 |
| 责备 | zébèi | to blame; to criticize | HSK 7-9 |
| 后备箱 | hòubèixiāng | trunk; boot (of a car) | HSK 7-9 |
| 后备 | hòubèi | reserve; backup | HSK 7-9 |
| 戒备 | jièbèi | to take precautions; to guard against (emergency) | HSK 7-9 |
| 储备 | chǔbèi | to store up; reserves | HSK 7-9 |
| 备受 | bèishòu | to receive a great deal of (respect, criticism, attention etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 筹备 | chóubèi | preparations; to get ready for sth | HSK 7-9 |
备 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 备
How many strokes are in 备?
备 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 备 mean?
备 (bèi) means to prepare; to get ready, to equip; ready; perfect. A common word with it is 准备 (zhǔnbèi), meaning "preparation; to prepare".
How do you pronounce 备?
备 is pronounced bèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 备?
The radical of 备 is 夂, which carries the idea of "to go". Dictionaries list 备 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 备?
The traditional form of 备 is 俻 and 備. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 备 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 备 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 备 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 准备 and 预备?
Both mean to prepare. 准备 (zhǔnbèi) is the everyday word and also works as a noun, as in 做准备 (to make preparations). 预备 (yùbèi) sounds a bit more formal or old-fashioned, and is heard in commands like 预备，开始 (ready, go).
Why does 责备 mean to blame if 备 means to prepare?
In 责备 (zébèi), 备 carries its literary sense of fully or completely, so the word suggests criticizing someone thoroughly. It is a fixed word, so learn it as a whole rather than from the meaning of prepare.