彬 meaning and stroke order
Ornamental; cultivated, refined, well-bred
How to write 彬, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 彬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- urbane; well-bred; cultivated
How 彬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hair.
彡 gives the meaning and 林 hints at the sound.
Radical: 彡 (hair), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 彬
彬 (bīn) is pictophonetic: 林 (lín) gives the sound, and 彡, which suggests hair or decorative strokes, gives the meaning. Picture a neat grove 林 with elegant brush strokes 彡 beside it, like a well-groomed, refined person.
彬 is rarely used alone in modern Chinese. You will mostly see it in the set phrase 彬彬有礼 and in personal names, especially for boys. Example: 他总是彬彬有礼。(Tā zǒngshì bīnbīn yǒulǐ.) He is always polite and courteous.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 彬 as lín because of the 林 part, but it is pronounced bīn with a first tone. Also do not confuse it with 杉 (shān, fir tree), which has only one 木 next to 彡.
Common words with 彬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 彬彬有礼 | bīnbīn-yǒulǐ | refined and courteous; urbane | HSK 7-9 |
彬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 彬
How many strokes are in 彬?
彬 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 彬 mean?
彬 (bīn) means ornamental; cultivated, refined, well-bred. A common word with it is 彬彬有礼 (bīnbīn-yǒulǐ), meaning "refined and courteous; urbane".
How do you pronounce 彬?
彬 is pronounced bīn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 彬?
The radical of 彬 is 彡, which carries the idea of "hair". Dictionaries list 彬 under this radical.
Is 彬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 彬 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 彬 common in Chinese names?
Yes. 彬 is a popular name character because it suggests someone cultivated and well-mannered. Names like 文彬 (Wénbīn) combine it with 文 for a scholarly feel.
Can I describe someone as 很彬 on its own?
No, 彬 does not work as a standalone adjective in everyday speech. Use the full phrase 彬彬有礼, or a word like 有礼貌 (yǒu lǐmào) for polite.