Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
篦 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
fine-toothed comb; to comb one's hairn, 16 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #45343, Very Hard
to combunknown, 16 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #45343, Very Hard
(bi4) T4
  1. 1fine-toothed comb; to comb one's hair
  2. 2to comb
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(bi4)

The character 篦 (bì) refers to a fine-toothed comb, which is typically used for grooming hair, especially to remove tangles or style hair neatly. It can also be used as a verb meaning 'to comb one's hair'. This term is often found in contexts related to personal grooming and hair care.

Strokes16RadicalFrequency#45343DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, grooming and personal appearance are often emphasized, making tools like the fine-toothed comb significant in daily routines. It reflects the importance of neatness and presentation in social interactions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a narrow, sleek comb with many teeth as fine as a sewing needle. The pronunciation 'bì' sounds like 'bee', and you can picture a bee delicately combing through flowers, just like you would use a fine-toothed comb in your hair.

Meanings of 篦

(bi4)
1fine-toothed comb; to comb one's hair
2to comb
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 篦

Simplified
16Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 篦

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 篦

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a narrow, sleek comb with many teeth as fine as a sewing needle. The pronunciation 'bì' sounds like 'bee', and you can picture a bee delicately combing through flowers, just like you would use a fine-toothed comb in your hair.

Usage Notes

It's important to note that 篦 (bì) is more specific than just any comb; it refers to a comb with fine teeth. Common collocations include '用篦子梳头' (yòng bì zi shū tóu), meaning 'to comb one's hair with a fine-toothed comb'. Be cautious with pronunciation to avoid confusion with other characters that sound similar.

HSK Study Tips

While 篦 (bì) is not included in the HSK levels, it can be useful for students at HSK 4 and above who are expanding their vocabulary related to everyday objects. Students should practice using it in sentences to build fluency.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, grooming and personal appearance are often emphasized, making tools like the fine-toothed comb significant in daily routines. It reflects the importance of neatness and presentation in social interactions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 篦 (bì) with other characters that have similar meanings, like 梳 (shū). A common mistake is saying '我用梳子来梳头' (wǒ yòng shū zi lái shū tóu) when they specifically mean to use a fine-toothed comb, which should be '我用篦子来梳头'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 篦

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 篦

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A bamboo ⺮ hair 囟 comb; 比 provides the pronunciation

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 篦?

Decomposition of 篦

IDS Structure⿳⺮囟比
Full Character
=
zhu2
top
xin4
middle
Bi3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 篦?

Write 篦

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 篦

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, grooming and personal appearance are often emphasized, making tools like the fine-toothed comb significant in daily routines. It reflects the importance of neatness and presentation in social interactions.

Word Family of 篦

Words Containing This Character2
to comb
篦子grate
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 篦 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 篦

篦 (bì) specifically refers to a fine-toothed comb, while 梳 (shū) is a more general term for combing and can refer to any type of comb.