蹩 meaning and stroke order
To limp
How to write 蹩, stroke by stroke
18 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 蹩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to limp
- to sprain (an ankle or wrist)
- to move carefully, as if evading a danger
- to scurry
How 蹩 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A broken 敝 foot 足; 敝 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 蹩
The top part 敝 (bì) means worn out or broken, and the bottom part 足 (zú) is a foot. A broken, worn-out foot makes you limp, and 敝 also hints at the sound bié.
On its own, 蹩 is rare in modern speech. You will mostly meet it in the word 蹩脚 (biéjiǎo), which describes something poor in quality or clumsy. Example: 他的英语很蹩脚。(Tā de Yīngyǔ hěn biéjiǎo.) His English is pretty bad.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 敞 (chǎng, open) or 弊 (bì) because the shapes are close. The top must be 敝, and the foot 足 goes underneath, not on the left side as in most foot characters.
Common words with 蹩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蹩脚 | biéjiǎo | inferior; shoddy |
蹩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 蹩
How many strokes are in 蹩?
蹩 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蹩 mean?
蹩 (bié) means to limp. A common word with it is 蹩脚 (biéjiǎo), meaning "inferior; shoddy".
How do you pronounce 蹩?
蹩 is pronounced bié, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 蹩?
The radical of 蹩 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 蹩 under this radical.
Is 蹩脚 rude to say about someone?
It is critical but not vulgar. People often use it about their own skills to sound modest, as in 我的中文很蹩脚 (Wǒ de Zhōngwén hěn biéjiǎo), meaning my Chinese is poor.
How is 蹩 different from 瘸 (qué) for limping?
瘸 is the everyday word for limping or being lame, as in 瘸腿 (quétuǐ). 蹩 in the sense of limping or spraining is literary, so in daily speech use 瘸 instead.