杯 meaning and stroke order
Cup; trophy cup; classifier for certain containers of liquids: glass, cup
How to write 杯, 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 杯
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- cup
- trophy cup
- classifier for certain containers of liquids: glass, cup
- variant of 杯[bei1]
How 杯 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Tree.
木 gives the meaning and 不 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 杯
杯 is pictophonetic: 木 (wood, tree) on the left gives the meaning, since early cups could be carved from wood, and 不 (bù) on the right hints at the sound bēi. Picture a wooden cup that is not (不) empty.
杯 appears in words like 杯子 (bēizi, cup) and 干杯 (gānbēi, cheers), and it also works as a measure word for drinks. Example: 我要一杯咖啡。(Wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi.) I want a cup of coffee. It also means trophy cup, as in 世界杯 (shìjièbēi, World Cup).
Common mistake: Learners often say 一个杯 when they mean a cup of something. Use 一杯水 for a glass of water, and 一个杯子 for the empty cup itself. Also keep the first tone bēi; do not let it drift to bèi.
Common words with 杯
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 杯子 | bēizi | cup; glass | HSK 1 |
| 干杯 | gānbēi | to drink a toast; Cheers! (proposing a toast) | HSK 2 |
| 世界杯 | shìjièbēi | World Cup | HSK 3 |
| 奖杯 | jiǎngbēi | trophy cup | HSK 7-9 |
| 酒杯 | jiǔbēi | wine cup | |
| 举杯 | jǔbēi | to toast sb (with wine etc); to drink a toast | |
| 圣杯 | shèngbēi | Holy Grail | |
| 纸杯 | zhǐbēi | paper cup | |
| 玻璃杯 | bōlibēi | drinking glass | |
| 茶杯 | chábēi | teacup; tea-glass | |
| 罩杯 | zhàobēi | cup (bra size) | |
| 分一杯羹 | fēnyībēigēng | (fig.) to have a slice of the pie; to get a piece of the action |
杯 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 杯
How many strokes are in 杯?
杯 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 杯 mean?
杯 (bēi) means cup; trophy cup; classifier for certain containers of liquids: glass, cup. A common word with it is 杯子 (bēizi), meaning "cup; glass".
How do you pronounce 杯?
杯 is pronounced bēi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 杯?
The radical of 杯 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 杯 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 杯?
The traditional form of 杯 is 桮 and 盃. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 杯 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 杯 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 杯 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 2.
What is the difference between 杯 and 杯子?
杯子 (bēizi) is the everyday noun for a cup or glass as an object. 杯 alone is mostly used as a measure word, as in 两杯茶 (liǎng bēi chá, two cups of tea), or inside compounds like 纸杯 (zhǐbēi, paper cup).
Does 干杯 mean I have to empty my glass?
Literally 干杯 (gānbēi) means dry the cup, so traditionally it invites you to finish your drink. In casual settings many people just take a sip, and you can say 随意 (suíyì) to mean drink as much as you like.