unknown, 8 strokes, radical 扌, rank #16648, Very Hard
拂
fú
to shake off, to brush away; dust
t, 8 strokes, radical 扌, rank #16648, Very Hard
拂
fú
old variant of 弼[bi4]
unknown, 8 strokes, radical 扌, rank #16648, Very Hard
bì(bi4)
primary
T4
1to shake off, to brush away; dust
2old variant of 弼[bi4]
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
拂bì(bi4)
The character 拂 (bì) means to shake off or brush away, commonly used in contexts where one is removing dust or unwanted elements from a surface. It can also refer to a gentle action of brushing something aside, suggesting a subtle and light touch.
Strokes8Radical扌Frequency#16648DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In traditional Chinese culture, cleanliness and the act of maintaining one's environment are highly valued. The action of brushing away dust symbolizes not only physical cleanliness but also the removal of negativity and the pursuit of clarity in life.
Memory Tip
Imagine a gentle breeze (the radical 扌, meaning hand) sweeping away dust (the meaning of 拂). Picture yourself using your hand to brush away the dust from a beautiful piece of art, emphasizing the act of lightly 'shaking off' the unwanted particles.
Meanings of 拂
bì(bi4)
primary
1to shake off, to brush away; dust
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 拂
拂Simplified
8Strokes
扌Radical
时间词time word (t.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 拂
Podcast: 拂
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AI Study Notes for 拂
Quick Contrast
拂 (bì) vs 扫 (sǎo) — use 拂 for a gentle brushing away, while 扫 implies a more vigorous sweeping action.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 拂 with similar characters like 扉 (door) due to their visual similarities. This character is more commonly used in literary or poetic contexts, so it's less frequently encountered in everyday conversations. Be cautious with the tones; using the wrong tone can change the meaning significantly.
HSK Study Tips
Although 拂 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it relates to other HSK words that involve actions of cleaning or removing, such as 扫 (sǎo, to sweep). Students should focus on understanding the context in which 拂 is used to strengthen their grasp of nuanced actions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mispronounce 拂 as 'fu' instead of 'bì', leading to confusion with other meanings. It's important to remember its correct pronunciation to avoid misunderstandings.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 拂
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Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 弗 represents the sound.
1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
2The sound half弗 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayhand
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 拂? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 拂?
Decomposition of 拂
IDS Structure⿰扌弗
拂Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
弗fu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 拂?
How to say to shake off, to brush away; dust in Chinese
“to shake off, to brush away; dust” in Chinese is拂bì
The character 拂 (bì) means to shake off or brush away, commonly used in contexts where one is removing dust or unwanted elements from a surface. It can also refer to a gentle action of brushing something aside, suggesting a subtle and light touch.
When to use 拂
Learners often confuse 拂 with similar characters like 扉 (door) due to their visual similarities. This character is more commonly used in literary or poetic contexts, so it's less frequently encountered in everyday conversations. Be cautious with the tones; using the wrong tone can change the meaning significantly.
拂 or something close to it
拂 (bì) vs 扫 (sǎo) — use 拂 for a gentle brushing away, while 扫 implies a more vigorous sweeping action.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mispronounce 拂 as 'fu' instead of 'bì', leading to confusion with other meanings. It's important to remember its correct pronunciation to avoid misunderstandings.
Write 拂
拂
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Practice writing 拂 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 拂
拂 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
我____去了墓碑顶上的雨水。
I swept rainwater off the flat top of a gravestone.
Example Sentences for 拂 (10)
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1
我拂去了墓碑顶上的雨水。
wǒ fú qù le mù bēi dǐng shàng de yǔ shuǐ。
I swept rainwater off the flat top of a gravestone.
2
艾伦伸手把信拂开了。
ài lún shēn shǒu bǎ xìn fú kāi le。
Alan stretched out his hand and flicked the letter away.
3
路灯在黄昏时开,拂晓时关.
lù dēng zài huáng hūn shí kāi, , fú xiǎo shí.
The street lights come on at dusk and go off at dawn.
4
他的手指轻拂着吉他的弦.
tā de shǒu zhǐ qīng fú zháo jí tā de xián.
His fingers swept the strings of the guitar.
5
她的头发轻拂着红红的脸颊.
tā de tóu fā qīng fú zháo hóng hóng de liǎn jiá.
Her hair brushed against her rosy cheeks.
6
和风轻拂树梢.
hé fēng qīng fú shù shāo.
A soft wind kissed the tree tops.
7
拂晓时分南希醒了。
fú xiǎo shí fēn nán xī xǐng le。
Nancy woke at dawn.
8
一阵凉风迎面拂来, 吹乱了他的头发.
yī zhèn liáng fēng yíng miàn fú lái, , chuī luàn le tā de tóu.
A cool breeze brushed his face, ruffling his hair.
9
这儿有批上年纪的摩尔人,白须飘拂,身穿白长袍,头顶大风兜.
zhè ér yǒu pī shàng nián jì de mó ěr rén, , bái xū piāo, fú , shēn chuān bái, cháng páo , tóu dǐng.
Here are aged Moors with flowing white beards, and long white robes with vast cowls.
10
熬过了炎热的白昼,我们美美地任夜晚凉爽的微风吹拂.
āo guò le yán rè de bái zhòu, , wǒ mén měi měi dì rèn yè wǎn liáng shuǎng de wēi fēng chuī.
After such a hot day we enjoyed the coolness of the evening breeze.
Word Family of 拂
Words Containing This Character7
拂bìto assist
拂晓daybreak拂曉
吹拂to brush
拂袖而去to storm off in a huff (idiom)
拂尘duster拂塵
飘拂to drift lightly飄拂
拂动to ruffle拂動
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 拂 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 拂
拂 (bì) implies a gentle brushing action, while 扫 (sǎo) refers to sweeping or more vigorous cleaning.
It's more commonly found in literature or formal contexts rather than in daily speech.
It is not commonly found in idioms, but may appear in poetic expressions.
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