Meaning of 闭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to close
- to stop up
- to shut
- to obstruct
How to use 闭
闭 is mostly used in set phrases and compounds rather than alone, such as 闭眼 (bì yǎn, close your eyes), 闭嘴 (bìzuǐ, shut up), 关闭 (guānbì, to close or shut down) and 倒闭 (dǎobì, to go bankrupt). Example: 请闭上眼睛。(Qǐng bì shàng yǎnjing.) Please close your eyes.
闭 is a door 门 (mén) with 才 (cái) inside it. Picture something wedged inside the doorway so the door stays shut.
Common mistake: Learners often use 闭 for closing a door or window in everyday speech, but people normally say 关门 (guān mén), not 闭门. Also do not confuse 闭 with 闲 (xián, idle), which has 木 inside the door instead of 才.
闭 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.
闭 bì · to close · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 闭.
| 关闭 | guānbì | to close; to shut (a window etc); (of a shop, school etc) to shut down |
| 封闭 | fēngbì | to close; to seal off; to close down (an illegal venue) |
| 倒闭 | dǎobì | to go bankrupt; to close down |
| 闭幕 | bìmù | the curtain falls; lower the curtain |
| 闭幕式 | bìmùshì | closing ceremony |
| 闭嘴 | bìzuǐ | Shut up!; same as 閉上嘴巴|闭上嘴巴 |
| 闭上 | bìshang | to close; to shut up |
| 闭路电视 | bìlùdiànshì | closed-circuit television |
| 紧闭 | jǐnbì | to close securely; tightly closed |
| 闭眼 | bìyǎn | to close one's eyes; (fig.) to die; to pass away |
| 关禁闭 | guānjìnbì | to put in detention (a soldier, a pupil) |
| 自闭症 | zìbìzhèng | autism |
Questions about 闭
What does 闭 mean?
闭 (bì) means "to close; to stop up" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 闭?
闭 is made of 1 character: 闭 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 闭 an HSK word?
Yes. 闭 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 闭 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 闭 is written 閉.
What is the difference between 闭 and 关?
关 (guān) is the everyday verb for closing doors, windows, or turning off devices. 闭 is used mainly for eyes and mouth, and in more formal compounds like 关闭 or 封闭.
Is 闭嘴 rude?
Yes, 闭嘴 (bìzuǐ) means shut up and sounds harsh. To ask someone politely to be quiet, say 请安静 (qǐng ānjìng).