Meaning of 铅笔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (lead) pencil
Measure word: 支,枝,桿|杆
How to use 铅笔
铅笔 is the everyday word for a pencil, and it is counted with 支 (zhī) or 枝. Example: 我借你一支铅笔。(Wǒ jiè nǐ yì zhī qiānbǐ.) I'll lend you a pencil.
铅 (qiān) means lead, and its metal radical 钅 on the left reminds you it is a metal. 笔 (bǐ) is a pen, with bamboo 竹 on top and hair 毛 below, so a lead pen is a pencil.
Common mistake: Learners often read 铅 as yán or qiǎn because of 沿 (yán) and 浅 (qiǎn). It is first tone, qiān. Also, do not use 本 as the measure word. Pens and pencils take 支.
铅笔 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.
铅 qiān · lead · 10 strokes
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笔 bǐ · writing brush · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 铅笔.
| 笔记 | bǐjì | to take down (in writing); notes |
| 笔记本 | bǐjìběn | notebook (stationery) (CL:本[ben3]); (computing) laptop; notebook (abbr. for 筆記本電腦|笔记本电脑[bi |
| 钢笔 | gāngbǐ | fountain pen |
| 毛笔 | máobǐ | writing brush |
| 笔试 | bǐshì | written examination; paper test (for an applicant) |
| 圆珠笔 | yuánzhūbǐ | ballpoint pen |
| 大笔 | dàbǐ | (formal) (honorific) your writing; your handwriting; pen; calligraphy brush |
| 笔迹 | bǐjì | handwriting |
| 笔录 | bǐlù | to put down in writing; to take down notes |
| 笔直 | bǐzhí | perfectly straight; straight as a ramrod |
| 一笔勾销 | yībǐgōuxiāo | to write off at one stroke |
| 粉笔 | fěnbǐ | chalk |
Questions about 铅笔
What does 铅笔 mean?
铅笔 (qiānbǐ) means "(lead) pencil" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 铅笔?
铅笔 is made of 2 characters: 铅 (10 strokes), 笔 (10 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 铅笔 an HSK word?
Yes. 铅笔 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 铅笔 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 铅笔 is written 鉛筆.
How do you say mechanical pencil and colored pencil in Chinese?
A mechanical pencil is 自动铅笔 (zìdòng qiānbǐ), literally automatic pencil. A colored pencil is 彩色铅笔 (cǎisè qiānbǐ), often shortened to 彩铅 (cǎiqiān).
What is the difference between 铅笔, 钢笔 and 圆珠笔?
All three end in 笔, the general word for a writing tool. 铅笔 is a pencil, 钢笔 (gāngbǐ) is a fountain pen, and 圆珠笔 (yuánzhūbǐ) is a ballpoint pen. If you just mean something to write with, you can simply say 笔 (bǐ).