披 meaning and stroke order
To drape over one's shoulders; to open; to unroll
How to write 披, 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 披
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to drape over one's shoulders
- to open
- to unroll
- to split open
- to spread out
How 披 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To put on 扌 fur 皮; 皮 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 披
A hand 扌 throws a piece of skin or fur 皮 (pí) over the shoulders, so 披 (pī) means to drape something on. The 皮 part also hints at the sound.
披 is used for draping clothing loosely over the shoulders without putting the arms through, and it appears in words like 披肩 (pījiān, shawl) and 披露 (pīlù, to reveal). Example: 她披着一件外套。(Tā pī zhe yí jiàn wàitào.) She has a coat draped over her shoulders.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 披 (pī) with 被 (bèi) and 皮 (pí), which share the 皮 part but have different meanings and tones. Also note that 披 is first tone, while 皮 is second tone.
Common words with 披
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
披 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 披
How many strokes are in 披?
披 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 披 mean?
披 (pī) means to drape over one's shoulders; to open; to unroll. A common word with it is 披露 (pīlù), meaning "to reveal; to publish".
How do you pronounce 披?
披 is pronounced pī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 披?
The radical of 披 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 披 under this radical.
Is 披 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 披 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 披 and 穿?
穿 (chuān) means to put on or wear clothes normally, with arms in the sleeves. 披 means to drape something loosely over the shoulders or back, like a towel, shawl, or jacket.
Why is pizza written 披萨?
披萨 (pīsà) is a loanword chosen for its sound, so 披 here has no meaning connection to draping. You may also see the less common spelling 比萨 (bǐsà).