邊 meaning and stroke order
Border, edge, margin, side
How to write 邊, 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 邊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- side
- edge
- margin
- border
- boundary
- simultaneously
- suffix of a noun of locality
How 邊 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 臱 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 邊
邊 is built from 辶 (walk) and the sound part 臱 (mián). Picture yourself walking along until you reach the edge or border of a place.
邊 (biān, simplified 边) marks a side or edge, and as a neutral-tone suffix (bian) it turns direction words into places, as in 左边 (zuǒbian) and 里边 (lǐbian). Doubled as 一边...一边..., it means doing two things at once. Example: 我一边吃饭一边看书。(Wǒ yībiān chīfàn yībiān kàn shū.) I read while I eat.
Common mistake: Learners often say the suffix with a full first tone in words like 左边 or 里边, but in these words it is usually light and neutral (zuǒbian). Also do not confuse 邊 with 遠 (yuǎn, far), which uses the same 辶 radical.
Common words with 邊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 那邊 | nàbiān | over there; yonder | HSK 1 |
| 這邊 | zhèbiān | this side; here | HSK 1 |
| 一邊 | yībiān | one side; either side | HSK 1 |
| 旁邊 | pángbiān | side; adjacent place | HSK 1 |
| 左邊 | zuǒbian | left; the left side | HSK 1 |
| 右邊 | yòubian | right side; right, to the right | HSK 1 |
| 裡邊 | lǐbian | inside | HSK 1 |
| 北邊 | běibian | north; north side | HSK 1 |
| 外邊 | wàibian | outside; outer surface | HSK 1 |
| 南邊 | nánbian | south; south side | HSK 1 |
| 東邊 | dōngbian | east; east side | HSK 1 |
| 西邊 | xībian | west; west side | HSK 1 |
| 後邊 | hòubian | the back; the rear; the last bit; behind; near the end; at the back | HSK 1 |
| 上邊 | shàngbian | the top; above | HSK 1 |
Questions about 邊
How many strokes are in 邊?
邊 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 邊 mean?
邊 (biān) means border, edge, margin, side. A common word with it is 那边 (nàbiān), meaning "over there; yonder".
How do you pronounce 邊?
邊 is pronounced biān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 邊?
The radical of 邊 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 邊 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 邊?
邊 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 边, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 一边...一边... mean?
It means doing two actions at the same time, like 一边走一边说 (yībiān zǒu yībiān shuō), talking while walking. In casual speech the 一 is often dropped: 边走边说.
What is the difference between 旁边 and 边?
旁边 (pángbiān) means beside or next to something, as in 学校旁边 (next to the school). 边 alone usually means an edge or a side, such as 河边 (hébiān), the riverside.