别 meaning in English
to leave; to part (from); (literary) to differentiate; to distinguish
Meaning of 别
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to leave; to part (from)
- (literary) to differentiate; to distinguish
- (dialect) to turn away; to turn aside; to avert (one's face, gaze etc)
- (bound form) other; another; different
- don't ...!
- to fasten with a pin or clip
- to stick in; to insert (in order to hinder movement)
- (noun suffix) category (as in 性別|性别[xing4 bie2], 派別|派别[pai4 bie2])
- surname Bie
- to make sb change their ways, opinions etc
How to use 别
In everyday speech 别 most often means "don't" before a verb, giving a casual command or request. It also appears in common words like 别人 (biérén, other people) and 特别 (tèbié, especially). Example: 别担心。(Bié dānxīn.) Don't worry.
别 has the knife radical 刂 on the right. Picture a knife cutting something apart, which links to its meanings of parting, separating, and telling things apart.
Common mistake: Learners often use 不 (bù) where 别 is needed. 不去 (bù qù) states "not going," but telling someone "don't go" needs 别去 (bié qù). Also note the left side is 另 (lìng), not 力 alone, so write the 口 on top.
别 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
别 bié · to leave · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 别.
| 别人 | biérén | other people; others; other person |
| 别的 | biéde | else; other |
| 特别 | tèbié | unusual; special; very; especially; particularly |
| 区别 | qūbié | difference; to distinguish |
| 分别 | fēnbié | to part; to leave each other; to distinguish; to tell apart |
| 告别 | gàobié | to leave; to part from; to bid farewell to; to say goodbye to |
| 性别 | xìngbié | sex; gender |
| 个别 | gèbié | individually; one by one; just one or two; exceptional; rare |
| 差别 | chābié | difference; distinction; disparity |
| 别说 | biéshuō | to say nothing of; not to mention; let alone |
| 别看 | biékàn | don't be fooled by the fact that |
| 别墅 | biéshù | villa |
Questions about 别
What does 别 mean?
别 (bié) means "to leave; to part (from); (literary) to differentiate; to distinguish" and is used as a adverb and verb.
How do you write 别?
别 is made of 1 character: 别 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 别 an HSK word?
Yes. 别 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 别 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 别 is written 別.
What is the difference between 别 and 不要?
Both mean "don't" in commands, and 别 is usually a shorter, more casual version of 不要 (bú yào). 不要 can sound a little stronger or more formal.
How do you say goodbye using 别?
Use 告别 (gàobié) for bidding farewell, or 分别 (fēnbié) for people parting from each other. The everyday "bye" is still 再见 (zàijiàn), not a word with 别.