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庇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
庇bìto protectvg, 7 strokes, radical 广, rank #15187, Very Hard
庇bìcovervg, 7 strokes, radical 广, rank #15187, Very Hard
庇bìsheltervg, 7 strokes, radical 广, rank #15187, Very Hard
庇bìhide or harborvg, 7 strokes, radical 广, rank #15187, Very Hard
庇bìcover, shield; to protect, to shelter; to harborvg, 7 strokes, radical 广, rank #15187, Very Hard
bì(bi4) T4
  1. 1to protect
  2. 2cover
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

庇bì(bi4)

The character 庇 (bì) means to protect or provide shelter. It is commonly used in contexts involving safety, covering from danger, or offering refuge to someone or something. This term conveys a sense of security and support, often relating to physical or emotional protection.

Strokes7Radical广Frequency#15187DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of '庇' is often linked to family and community protection, illustrating the importance of looking out for one another. This is especially evident during festivals or in traditional practices where families come together to provide shelter and support.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large umbrella (the radical for shelter) that keeps you dry during a rainstorm. The sound 'bì' can remind you of 'beating' raindrops that are kept at bay by your protective cover. Visualize this umbrella as a symbol of safety and shelter.

Meanings of 庇

bì(bi4)
1to protect
2cover
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 庇

庇Simplified
7Strokes
广Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#15187Frequency Rank

Podcast: 庇

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Podcast: 庇

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AI Study Notes for 庇

Quick Contrast

庇 (bì, to protect) vs 保护 (bǎohù, to safeguard) — use 庇 when emphasizing shelter or refuge, while 保护 focuses on broader safeguarding actions.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone, as mispronouncing 'bì' can lead to misunderstandings with similar-sounding words. '庇护' (bìhù) is a common collocation meaning 'to provide protection.' This term is more formal and is often used in written language or serious discussions.

HSK Study Tips

While '庇' is not part of the official HSK vocabulary list, it connects to the themes of shelter and protection found in HSK Level 3 vocabulary. Students should focus on the context in which '庇' can appear, especially alongside other words related to safety or support.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '庇' with '避' (bì), which means 'to avoid.' For example, saying '我想庇雨' (Wǒ xiǎng bì yǔ) meaning 'I want to avoid the rain' is incorrect; the correct term is '避雨' (bì yǔ).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 庇

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Etymology of 庇

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

Phonosemantic compound. 广 represents the meaning and 比 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

house

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 庇

Phonosemantic compound. 广 represents the meaning and 比 represents the sound.

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

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

Want the full history of 庇? 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 庇?

Decomposition of 庇

IDS Structure⿸广比
庇Full Character
=
广Guang3
enclosing
比Bi3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 庇?

How to say to protect in Chinese

“to protect” in Chinese is庇bì

The character 庇 (bì) means to protect or provide shelter. It is commonly used in contexts involving safety, covering from danger, or offering refuge to someone or something. This term conveys a sense of security and support, often relating to physical or emotional protection.

When to use 庇

Be cautious with the tone, as mispronouncing 'bì' can lead to misunderstandings with similar-sounding words. '庇护' (bìhù) is a common collocation meaning 'to provide protection.' This term is more formal and is often used in written language or serious discussions.

庇 or something close to it

庇 (bì, to protect) vs 保护 (bǎohù, to safeguard) — use 庇 when emphasizing shelter or refuge, while 保护 focuses on broader safeguarding actions.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '庇' with '避' (bì), which means 'to avoid.' For example, saying '我想庇雨' (Wǒ xiǎng bì yǔ) meaning 'I want to avoid the rain' is incorrect; the correct term is '避雨' (bì yǔ).

Write 庇

庇

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 庇

庇 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

她为什么要包____想要杀她的人呢？

Why would she cover for someone who was trying to kill her?

Example Sentences for 庇 (4)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
她为什么要包庇想要杀她的人呢？

tā wéi shí mó yào bāo bì xiǎng yào shā tā de rén ne？

Why would she cover for someone who was trying to kill her?
2
1987年他在本国逃脱警察追捕后，就申请了政治庇护。

1987 1987 nián tā zài běn guó táo tuō jǐng chá zhuī bǔ， hòu ， jiù shēn qǐng le zhèng zhì。

He applied for asylum in 1987 after fleeing the police back home.
3
考古学家判定这个堡垒建于罗马皇帝安东尼·庇护统治时期。

kǎo gǔ xué jiā pàn dìng zhè gè bǎo lěi jiàn yú luó mǎ huáng dì ān dōng ní· · bì hù tǒng zhì shí。

Archaeologists have dated the fort to the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius.
4
门多萨在要求获得政治庇护之前一直呆在这里。

mén duō sà zài yào qiú huò dé zhèng zhì bì hù zhī qián yī zhí dāi zài zhè lǐ。

Mendoza is here pending his request for political asylum.

Word Family of 庇

Words Containing This Character9
庇护asylum庇護
包庇bāobìto shield
庇bìcover
庇佑to bless
庇荫to shield庇蔭
托庇to rely on sb for protection
庇古Arthur Cecil Pigou (1877-1959), British economist
罗伯斯庇尔Robespierre (name)羅伯斯庇爾
欧里庇得斯Euripides (c. 480-406 BC), Greek tragedian, author of Medea, Trojan Women etc歐里庇得斯
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 庇护 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 庇

'庇' can be used in phrases like '庇护所' (bìhùsuǒ) meaning 'shelter' or 'refuge,' showing how it can denote a place of safety.

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