片 meaning and stroke order
Thin piece; flake; a slice
How to write 片, stroke by stroke
4 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
Meaning of 片
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- thin piece
- flake
- a slice
- film
- TV play
- to slice
- disk
- sheet
How 片 is built
Pictographic character. Half of a tree trunk; compare 爿.
How to remember 片
片 is a picture of half a tree trunk split down the middle, the mirror image of 爿. Think of a log sawn in half, giving you a flat slice or plank.
片 (piàn) means a thin, flat piece and appears in many words for flat things like 照片 (zhàopiàn) photo, 名片 (míngpiàn) business card and 药片 (yàopiàn) pill. It is also a measure word for slices, leaves and stretches of land or water. Example: 我吃了两片面包。(Wǒ chī le liǎng piàn miànbāo.) I ate two slices of bread.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 片 with its mirror image 爿 (pán) or with 斤 (jīn), which looks similar at a glance. In 片, the vertical stroke is on the left and the short horizontal sticks out to the right at the top.
Common words with 片
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 照片 | zhàopiàn | photograph | HSK 2 |
| 影片 | yǐngpiàn | a copy of a film; film; motion picture; movie | HSK 2 |
| 图片 | túpiàn | picture; photograph | HSK 2 |
| 药片 | yàopiàn | a (medicine) pill or tablet | HSK 2 |
| 唱片 | chàngpiàn | gramophone record; LP | HSK 4 |
| 名片 | míngpiàn | (business) card | HSK 4 |
| 相片 | xiàngpiàn | image; photograph | HSK 4 |
| 动画片 | dònghuàpiàn | animated film | HSK 4 |
| 片面 | piànmiàn | unilateral; one-sided | HSK 4 |
| 薯片 | shǔpiàn | fried potato chips | HSK 6 |
| 短片 | duǎnpiàn | short film; video clip | HSK 6 |
| 卡片 | kǎpiàn | card | HSK 7-9 |
| 片子 | piānzi | film; movie | HSK 7-9 |
| 芯片 | xīnpiàn | computer chip; microchip | HSK 7-9 |
片 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 片
Learning 片 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 片
How many strokes are in 片?
片 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 片 mean?
片 (piàn) means thin piece; flake; a slice. A common word with it is 照片 (zhàopiàn), meaning "photograph".
How do you pronounce 片?
片 is pronounced piàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
Is 片 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 片 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
When is 片 pronounced piān instead of piàn?
The first tone piān is used mainly in a few spoken words for films and discs, such as 片子 (piānzi) for a movie or record, and 相片儿 or 唱片儿 in northern speech. In standard words like 照片 and 图片, say piàn.
How is 片 used as a measure word for places?
片 can count large stretches of land, water or scenery, often with 一. For example, 一片森林 (yí piàn sēnlín) means a stretch of forest, and 一片蓝天 (yí piàn lán tiān) means an expanse of blue sky.