媲 meaning and stroke order
To marry off; to compare, to match, to pair up
How to write 媲, stroke by stroke
13 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 媲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to match
- to pair
How 媲 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Woman.
女 gives the meaning.
Radical: 女 (woman), shared by 156 characters on this site.
How to remember 媲
媲 has 女 (woman) on the left as its meaning part, pointing to the old idea of pairing someone in marriage. Think of a bride being matched with an equal partner, and you get the sense of matching or comparing.
媲 is almost never used alone in modern Chinese. It appears mainly in the formal word 媲美 (pìměi), meaning to rival or be comparable with something excellent. Example: 这里的风景可以媲美瑞士。(Zhèlǐ de fēngjǐng kěyǐ pìměi Ruìshì.) The scenery here can rival Switzerland's.
Common mistake: Learners often misread 媲 as bǐ because it looks related to 比 (bǐ, to compare), but the correct reading is pì with a falling fourth tone. Also avoid using 媲美 for plain comparisons. It implies the thing is just as good as something admired.
Common words with 媲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 媲美 | pìměi | to match; is comparable with | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 媲
How many strokes are in 媲?
媲 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 媲 mean?
媲 (pì) means to marry off; to compare, to match, to pair up. A common word with it is 媲美 (pìměi), meaning "to match; is comparable with".
How do you pronounce 媲?
媲 is pronounced pì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 媲?
The radical of 媲 is 女, which carries the idea of "woman". Dictionaries list 媲 under this radical.
Is 媲 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 媲 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 媲美 and 比得上?
Both mean to be as good as something. 媲美 is formal and literary, common in writing and reviews, while 比得上 (bǐdeshàng) is everyday spoken Chinese.
Can 媲美 take an object directly?
Yes. It is followed directly by what is being matched, as in 媲美专业水平 (pìměi zhuānyè shuǐpíng), to rival a professional level. You can also say 与……媲美 (yǔ... pìměi), to be comparable with something.