辫 meaning and stroke order
Braid, pigtail, plait; queue
How to write 辫, 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 辫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- a braid or queue
- to plait
How 辫 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 辛 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辛 (bitter), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 辫
Picture a strand of thread 纟 in the middle, woven between two 辛 on the left and right. Three sections side by side are like the three strands you twist together to make a braid.
辫 (biàn) is most often used in the word 辫子 (biànzi), meaning a braid or pigtail. You can also say 扎辫子 (zā biànzi) or 梳辫子 (shū biànzi) for tying or doing braids. Example: 她每天早上梳两条辫子。(Tā měitiān zǎoshang shū liǎng tiáo biànzi.) She braids her hair into two plaits every morning.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 辫 (biàn, braid) with 辩 (biàn, to argue) and 辨 (biàn, to distinguish), which share the same 辛...辛 frame and the same sound. Only 辫 has the thread 纟 in the middle. 辩 has speech 讠 for arguing, and 辨 has a dot and a stroke for telling things apart.
Common words with 辫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 辫子 | biànzi | plait; braid | HSK 7-9 |
辫 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 辫
How many strokes are in 辫?
辫 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 辫 mean?
辫 (biàn) means braid, pigtail, plait; queue. A common word with it is 辫子 (biànzi), meaning "plait; braid".
How do you pronounce 辫?
辫 is pronounced biàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 辫?
The radical of 辫 is 辛, which carries the idea of "bitter". Dictionaries list 辫 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 辫?
The traditional form of 辫 is 辮. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 辫 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 辫 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 辫 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What measure word is used with 辫子?
Use 条 (tiáo) for long, thin things, as in 一条辫子 (yì tiáo biànzi), one braid. For a single braid or ponytail you will also hear 根 (gēn).
Does 辫子 have any figurative meaning?
Yes. 抓辫子 (zhuā biànzi) or 揪辫子 (jiū biànzi) means to seize on someone's mistake or weak point and use it against them. It comes from the image of grabbing someone by their braid.