弊 meaning and stroke order
Evil, bad, wrong; fraud, harm
How to write 弊, stroke by stroke
14 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 弊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- detriment
- fraud
- harm
- defeat
How 弊 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Two hands 廾 breaking something 敝; 敝 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 廾 (two hands), shared by 10 characters on this site.
How to remember 弊
The top part 敝 (bì) means worn out or broken, and the bottom 廾 is a pair of hands. Picture two hands breaking something that is already worn, and you get harm, a flaw, or a bad practice.
弊 (bì) rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words like 作弊 (zuòbì, to cheat), 弊病 (bìbìng, a malady or flaw) and 弊端 (bìduān, a systemic problem). Example: 考试不能作弊。 (Kǎoshì bù néng zuòbì.) You must not cheat on exams.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 弊 with 敝 (bì), which has the same sound but lacks the 廾 hands at the bottom. 敝 means worn out or humble, as in 敝人 (bìrén, my humble self), while 弊 means harm or fraud.
Common words with 弊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
弊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 弊
How many strokes are in 弊?
弊 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 弊 mean?
弊 (bì) means evil, bad, wrong; fraud, harm. A common word with it is 作弊 (zuòbì), meaning "to practice fraud; to cheat".
How do you pronounce 弊?
弊 is pronounced bì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 弊?
The radical of 弊 is 廾, which carries the idea of "two hands". Dictionaries list 弊 under this radical.
Is 弊 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 弊 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 弊 in Chinese?
The usual opposite is 利 (lì), meaning benefit or advantage. They often appear together, as in 利弊 (lìbì), the pros and cons. 有利有弊 (yǒu lì yǒu bì) means something has both advantages and disadvantages.
Is 作弊 only used for cheating on tests?
No. 作弊 is most common for exams, but it can also describe cheating in games, sports, or other kinds of fraud. For example, 比赛作弊 (bǐsài zuòbì) means cheating in a competition.