臂 meaning and stroke order
Arm
How to write 臂, stroke by stroke
17 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 臂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- arm
How 臂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flesh.
⺼ gives the meaning and 辟 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 臂
臂 (bì) is built from 辟 (pì/bì) on top, which gives the sound, and the flesh radical ⺼ at the bottom, which gives the meaning. Picture a fleshy body part, your arm, holding up the heavy 辟 above it.
臂 is rarely used alone in speech. It usually appears in words like 手臂 (shǒubì, arm), 双臂 (shuāngbì, both arms) and 臂膀 (bìbǎng, arm). Example: 她张开双臂抱住了孩子。(Tā zhāngkāi shuāngbì bàozhù le háizi.) She opened her arms and hugged the child.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 臂 (bì, arm) with 壁 (bì, wall) and 避 (bì, avoid), which share the 辟 part and the same sound. Check the bottom or side: flesh ⺼ means a body part, earth 土 means a wall, and the walking radical 辶 means avoid.
Common words with 臂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
臂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 臂
How many strokes are in 臂?
臂 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 臂 mean?
臂 (bì) means arm. A common word with it is 手臂 (shǒubì), meaning "arm (from shoulder to wrist); (fig.) assistant; helper".
How do you pronounce 臂?
臂 is pronounced bì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 臂?
The radical of 臂 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 臂 under this radical.
Is 臂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 臂 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 臂 and 胳膊?
胳膊 (gēbo) is the everyday spoken word for arm. 臂 is more formal or written and mostly appears in compounds like 手臂. In casual conversation, people usually say 胳膊.
Can 手臂 mean something other than a body part?
Yes. 手臂 can be used figuratively to mean an assistant or helper, someone who acts as your right-hand person. The literal meaning of arm from shoulder to wrist is still the most common.