膑 meaning and stroke order
Kneecap
How to write 膑, stroke by stroke
14 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 膑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- variant of 髕|髌[bin4]
How 膑 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flesh.
⺼ gives the meaning and 宾 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 膑
The flesh radical ⺼ tells you this is a body part, and 宾 (bīn, guest) gives the sound bìn. Picture a guest kneeling politely, resting on the kneecap.
膑 (bìn) is a variant of 髌 (bìn), and it now appears mostly in history and in the name of the strategist 孙膑 (Sūn Bìn). The related word 膑刑 (bìnxíng) names an ancient punishment that removed the kneecaps. Example: 孙膑是著名的军事家。(Sūn Bìn shì zhùmíng de jūnshìjiā.) Sun Bin was a famous military strategist.
Common mistake: Learners often read it with the first tone like 宾 (bīn), but 膑 is fourth tone, bìn. Do not confuse it with 殡 (bìn, to lay out a coffin), which has the same sound but uses 歹 on the left.
Questions about 膑
How many strokes are in 膑?
膑 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 膑 mean?
膑 (bìn) means kneecap.
How do you pronounce 膑?
膑 is pronounced bìn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 膑?
The radical of 膑 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 膑 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 膑?
The traditional form of 膑 is 臏. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 膑 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 膑 and 髌?
Both are read bìn and both mean kneecap. 髌 uses the bone radical 骨 and is the standard form in modern anatomy, as in 髌骨 (bìngǔ, patella). 膑 is the variant that survives mainly in historical names and terms.
Why was Sun Bin named 膑?
According to historical accounts, he suffered the punishment 膑刑 (bìnxíng), which took away his kneecaps. He became known by that name afterward and went on to write the military text 孙膑兵法 (Sūn Bìn Bīngfǎ).