辩 meaning and stroke order
To dispute; to debate; to argue
How to write 辩, stroke by stroke
16 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 辩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to dispute
- to debate
- to argue
- to discuss
How 辩 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A bitter 辛 exchange of words 讠.
Radical: 辛 (bitter), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 辩
Picture two bitter 辛 (xīn) people facing each other with words 讠 (speech) flying between them in the middle. A bitter exchange of words is an argument or debate, 辩 (biàn).
辩 usually appears in compound words about arguing a position, such as 辩论 (biànlùn, debate), 辩护 (biànhù, to defend) and 争辩 (zhēngbiàn, to wrangle). It sounds formal and is common in legal, academic and school settings. Example: 他们在辩论这个问题。(Tāmen zài biànlùn zhège wèntí.) They are debating this issue.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 辩 (argue, with 讠 in the middle) with 辨 (biàn, to distinguish, with a dot and stroke in the middle) and 辫 (biàn, braid, with 纟 in the middle). All three are read biàn, so check the middle part. If it is about speaking, use the speech radical 讠.
Common words with 辩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 辩论 | biànlùn | debate; argument | HSK 4 |
| 辩护 | biànhù | to speak in defense of; to argue in favor of | HSK 7-9 |
| 辩解 | biànjiě | to explain; to justify | HSK 7-9 |
| 答辩 | dábiàn | to reply (to an accusation); to defend one's dissertation | HSK 7-9 |
| 辩方 | biànfāng | (law) the defense | |
| 争辩 | zhēngbiàn | a dispute; to wrangle | |
| 狡辩 | jiǎobiàn | to deflect blame from oneself with a dishonest story; to make excuses | |
| 辩护人 | biànhùrén | defender; defending counsel | |
| 申辩 | shēnbiàn | to defend oneself; to rebut a charge |
辩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 辩
How many strokes are in 辩?
辩 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 辩 mean?
辩 (biàn) means to dispute; to debate; to argue. A common word with it is 辩论 (biànlùn), meaning "debate; argument".
How do you pronounce 辩?
辩 is pronounced biàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 辩?
The radical of 辩 is 辛, which carries the idea of "bitter". Dictionaries list 辩 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 辩?
The traditional form of 辩 is 辯. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 辩 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 辩 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 辩 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 辩论 and 争论?
辩论 (biànlùn) is a structured or reasoned debate, like a formal school debate. 争论 (zhēnglùn) is a more general dispute or quarrel where people disagree, often with more emotion.
Does 狡辩 have a negative meaning?
Yes. 狡辩 (jiǎobiàn) means to make dishonest excuses to dodge blame, so it criticizes the speaker. If you want a neutral word for explaining yourself, use 辩解 (biànjiě) or 解释 (jiěshì).