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毖 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
毖bìcaution; to guard against, to take careg, 9 strokes, radical 比, rank #46995, Very Hard
毖bìcarefulunknown, 9 strokes, radical 比, rank #46995, Very Hard
毖bìto preventunknown, 9 strokes, radical 比, rank #46995, Very Hard
bì(bi4) T4
  1. 1caution; to guard against, to take care
  2. 2careful
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

毖bì(bi4)

The character 毖 (bì) conveys the concept of caution and carefulness, often implying a sense of guarding against potential dangers or mistakes. It is used in contexts where prevention and attentiveness are emphasized, such as in safety instructions or when advising someone to be careful in a situation.

Strokes9Radical比Frequency#46995DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of caution is deeply rooted in teachings such as Confucianism, which emphasizes carefulness in behavior and thought to avoid conflict and ensure harmony.

Memory Tip

Imagine a vigilant mother (the radical 母, meaning 'mother') watching over her children to keep them safe from harm. The character 毖 looks like a protective shield, symbolizing her caution and care.

Meanings of 毖

bì(bi4)
1caution; to guard against, to take care
2careful
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 毖

毖Simplified
9Strokes
比Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 毖

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Podcast: 毖

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AI Study Notes for 毖

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 毖 with similar characters that have different meanings. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, typically in advice or warnings. Common collocations include phrases like '小心' (xiǎoxīn, to be careful) where 毖 may imply an added layer of caution.

HSK Study Tips

While 毖 is not an HSK level character, understanding it can enhance vocabulary related to safety and caution. Students should focus on recognizing its meaning in context and how it complements other HSK words that express care and prevention.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 毖 with its phonetically similar character 母 (mǔ, meaning 'mother'). Remember that 毖 relates to caution, while 母 refers to motherhood. An incorrect usage would be saying '母事' to mean 'caution,' when it should be '毖事.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 毖

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Etymology of 毖

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

compare

Semantic (meaning)比
+
Phonetic (sound)必
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 毖

  1. 1The meaning half比 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half必 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaycompare
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 毖? 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 毖?

Decomposition of 毖

IDS Structure⿱比必
毖Full Character
=
比Bi3
top
必bi4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 毖?

How to say caution; to guard against, to take care in Chinese

“caution; to guard against, to take care” in Chinese is毖bì

The character 毖 (bì) conveys the concept of caution and carefulness, often implying a sense of guarding against potential dangers or mistakes. It is used in contexts where prevention and attentiveness are emphasized, such as in safety instructions or when advising someone to be careful in a situation.

When to use 毖

Be cautious not to confuse 毖 with similar characters that have different meanings. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, typically in advice or warnings. Common collocations include phrases like '小心' (xiǎoxīn, to be careful) where 毖 may imply an added layer of caution.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 毖 with its phonetically similar character 母 (mǔ, meaning 'mother'). Remember that 毖 relates to caution, while 母 refers to motherhood. An incorrect usage would be saying '母事' to mean 'caution,' when it should be '毖事.'

Write 毖

毖

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 毖

Words Containing This Character2
毖bìcareful
惩前毖后lit. to punish those before to prevent those after (idiom); to criticize former mistakes firmly to prevent them happening again懲前毖後
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 毖 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 毖

You can say '我会特别小心以防万一' (Wǒ huì tèbié xiǎoxīn yǐfáng wàn yī), meaning 'I will be especially cautious just in case.'

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