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愎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
愎bìstubborn, obstinate, headstrongg, 12 strokes, radical 忄
愎bìperverseunknown, 12 strokes, radical 忄
愎bìwillfulunknown, 12 strokes, radical 忄
bì(bi4)bi T4
  1. 1stubborn, obstinate, headstrong
  2. 2perverse
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March 24, 2026

愎bì(bi4)

The character 愎 (bì) refers to someone who is stubborn or obstinate, often in a negative sense. It is commonly used to describe a person who is unwilling to change their mind or actions, even in the face of reason or advice. This term can convey a sense of willfulness and perverse behavior.

Strokes12Radical忄
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, being labeled as '愎' can imply a lack of respect for social norms and relationships, as harmony and flexibility are highly valued. It reflects a disconnection from the community's expectations.

Memory tip

Imagine a bull (representing stubbornness) with a big 'B' on its side, refusing to budge despite the many people trying to persuade it. The '心' (heart) radical in 愎 suggests that this stubbornness comes from deep emotions or strong will.

Meanings of 愎

bì(bi4)
1stubborn, obstinate, headstrong
2perverse
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 愎

愎Simplified
12Strokes
忄Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 愎

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Podcast: 愎

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AI study notes for 愎

Quick Contrast

固执 (gùzhí) vs 顽固 (wángù) — use 愎 (bì) for a more negative connotation of obstinacy.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 'bì' has a negative connotation, so using it in a formal context may come across as harsh. Common collocations include phrases like ‘愎行’ (stubborn behavior). Avoid using it to describe someone’s determination positively.

HSK Study Tips

As this character is not in the HSK word list, focus on understanding its components and practicing with related words like ‘倔强’ (stubborn) or ‘固执’ (obstinate), which are more commonly used. Familiarity with these will help contextualize 愎.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '愎' with '忌' (jì), which means to be jealous or to avoid. Remember, '愎' relates to stubbornness, while '忌' has a different meaning. For example, using '我很愎' (I am very stubborn) is correct, but saying '我很忌' would imply jealousy, which is incorrect in this context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 愎

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Etymology of 愎

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory hint

To persist 复 in error 忄; 复 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 愎?

Decomposition of 愎

IDS Structure⿰忄复
愎Full character
=
忄xin1
left
复fu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 愎?

How to say stubborn, obstinate, headstrong in Chinese

“stubborn, obstinate, headstrong” in Chinese is愎bì

The character 愎 (bì) refers to someone who is stubborn or obstinate, often in a negative sense. It is commonly used to describe a person who is unwilling to change their mind or actions, even in the face of reason or advice. This term can convey a sense of willfulness and perverse behavior.

When to use 愎

Be cautious with the tone; 'bì' has a negative connotation, so using it in a formal context may come across as harsh. Common collocations include phrases like ‘愎行’ (stubborn behavior). Avoid using it to describe someone’s determination positively.

愎 or something close to it

固执 (gùzhí) vs 顽固 (wángù) — use 愎 (bì) for a more negative connotation of obstinacy.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '愎' with '忌' (jì), which means to be jealous or to avoid. Remember, '愎' relates to stubbornness, while '忌' has a different meaning. For example, using '我很愎' (I am very stubborn) is correct, but saying '我很忌' would imply jealousy, which is incorrect in this context.

Write 愎

愎

Practice writing 愎 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 愎

Words containing this character3
刚愎自用obstinate and self-opinionated (idiom)剛愎自用
愎bìperverse
刚愎headstrong剛愎
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 愎

What does 刚愎自用 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 愎

No, '愎' is generally negative, focusing on stubbornness that is unreasonable.

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