痹 meaning and stroke order
Numbess, paralysis
How to write 痹, stroke by stroke
13 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 痹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- paralysis
- numbness
How 痹 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Sickness.
疒 gives the meaning and 畀 hints at the sound.
Radical: 疒 (sickness), shared by 127 characters on this site.
How to remember 痹
The sickness radical 疒 wraps around 畀 (bì), which gives the sound. Picture a sick body under a blanket that has gone numb and cannot move, and the 畀 part tells you to say bì.
痹 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in 麻痹 (mábì), which means numbness or paralysis and is also used figuratively for letting your guard down. Example: 不要麻痹大意。(Bú yào mábì dàyì.) Don't get careless.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 痹 with 痺 or misread the inner part 畀 as 界 (jiè) or 鼻 (bí). Remember the inside is 畀 with 田 on top and 丌 below, and the tone is falling fourth tone bì.
Common words with 痹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 麻痹 | mábì | paralysis; palsy | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 痹
How many strokes are in 痹?
痹 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 痹 mean?
痹 (bì) means numbess, paralysis. A common word with it is 麻痹 (mábì), meaning "paralysis; palsy".
How do you pronounce 痹?
痹 is pronounced bì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 痹?
The radical of 痹 is 疒, which carries the idea of "sickness". Dictionaries list 痹 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 痹?
The traditional form of 痹 is 痺. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 痹 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 痹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 痹 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Does 麻痹 only describe a medical condition?
No. Besides physical numbness or palsy, 麻痹 often means being off guard or complacent, as in 麻痹大意 (mábì dàyì). It can also be a verb meaning to lull someone, as in 麻痹敌人 (mábì dírén), to lull the enemy.
What is the difference between 麻 and 麻痹 for numbness?
麻 (má) is the everyday word for a tingly numb feeling, as in 腿麻了 (tuǐ má le), my leg fell asleep. 麻痹 is more serious or formal and suggests loss of feeling or movement, like paralysis.