贬 meaning and stroke order
To devalue, to demote; to criticize, to censure
How to write 贬, stroke by stroke
8 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 贬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to diminish
- to demote
- to reduce or devaluate
- to disparage
- to censure
- to depreciate
How 贬 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To devalue 乏 currency 贝.
Radical: 贝 (sea shell), shared by 63 characters on this site.
How to remember 贬
On the left is 贝 (bèi), the old shell money, and on the right is 乏 (fá), meaning lacking or short of. Money that is lacking in value has been devalued, and a person whose worth is cut down has been demoted or criticized.
贬 (biǎn) is mostly used inside set words rather than alone, such as 贬值 (biǎnzhí) for currency losing value and 贬低 (biǎndī) for belittling someone. For example: 人民币贬值了。(Rénmínbì biǎnzhí le.) The RMB has depreciated.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 贬 (biǎn) with 眨 (zhǎ, to blink), which has the same 乏 on the right but 目 (eye) on the left. Remember that 贝 means money, so 贬 is about value, and 目 means eye, so 眨 is about blinking.
Common words with 贬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 贬值 | biǎnzhí | to become devaluated; to devaluate | HSK 7-9 |
| 贬低 | biǎndī | to belittle; to disparage |
贬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 贬
How many strokes are in 贬?
贬 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 贬 mean?
贬 (biǎn) means to devalue, to demote; to criticize, to censure. A common word with it is 贬值 (biǎnzhí), meaning "to become devaluated; to devaluate".
How do you pronounce 贬?
贬 is pronounced biǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 贬?
The radical of 贬 is 贝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 贬 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 贬?
The traditional form of 贬 is 貶. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 贬 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 贬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 贬 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 贬 in Chinese?
The usual opposite is 褒 (bāo), to praise. They appear together in 褒贬 (bāobiǎn), meaning to judge or comment on good and bad points, and in 贬义词 (biǎnyìcí, derogatory word) versus 褒义词 (bāoyìcí, commendatory word).
Does 贬 have a historical meaning of demoting officials?
Yes, the dictionary sense 'to demote' is seen in words like 贬官 (biǎnguān), an official sent to a lower post. You will meet this often when reading about ancient poets and officials who were demoted and sent far from the capital.