貝 meaning and stroke order
Sea shell; money, currency
How to write 貝, stroke by stroke
7 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
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 貝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- cowrie
- shellfish
- currency (archaic)
How 貝 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A sea shell, once used as currency.
How to remember 貝
貝 is built from 目 on top and 八 below. Picture the shell's patterned body as the box shape 目, with two little legs 八 poking out underneath, a cowrie shell that people once used as money.
Today 貝 (simplified 贝) rarely stands alone. It appears in words like 贝壳 (bèiké, shell) and 宝贝 (bǎobèi, treasure), which is also a common term of affection. Example: 你是我的宝贝。(Nǐ shì wǒ de bǎobèi.) You are my treasure.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 貝 with 見 (jiàn, to see), since both have 目 on top. 貝 ends in 八, while 見 ends in 儿 with a hooked stroke. Also remember the tone is fourth tone, bèi, not bēi as in 杯 (cup).
Common words with 貝
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 寶貝 | bǎobèi | treasured object; treasure | HSK 4 |
| 貝殼 | bèiké | shell (of a mollusk) | HSK 7-9 |
| 寶貝兒 | bǎobèir | erhua variant of 寶貝|宝贝[bao3 bei4] | |
| 貝克 | Bèikè | becquerel (unit of radioactivity, symbol Bq) (abbr. for 貝克勒爾|贝克勒尔[bei4 ke4 le4 er3]) | |
| 貝斯 | Bèisī | (loanword) bass (esp. bass guitar) | |
| 拷貝 | kǎobèi | copy; to copy (loanword) | |
| 貝塔 | bèitǎ | beta (Greek letter Β, β) | |
| 扇貝 | shànbèi | scallop (genus Pecten) | |
| 心肝寶貝 | xīngānbǎobèi | precious darling (often refers to one's child); sweetheart | |
| 貝斯手 | bèisīshǒu | bassist; bass player |
Characters that contain 貝
Learning 貝 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 貝
How many strokes are in 貝?
貝 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 貝 mean?
貝 (bèi) means sea shell; money, currency. A common word with it is 宝贝 (bǎobèi), meaning "treasured object; treasure".
How do you pronounce 貝?
貝 is pronounced bèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the simplified form of 貝?
貝 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 贝, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do so many characters about money contain 貝?
Because cowrie shells were once used as currency, 貝 became a component in many characters related to wealth and trade. Examples include 財 (cái, wealth), 買 (mǎi, to buy) and 貴 (guì, expensive).
Why is 贝 used in loanwords like 拷贝 and 贝斯?
In loanwords 贝 is chosen mainly for its sound, bèi, not its meaning. That is why it shows up in 拷贝 (kǎobèi, copy), 贝斯 (bèisī, bass) and 贝塔 (bèitǎ, beta).