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彬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
彬bīnornamental; cultivated, refined, well-bredzg, 11 strokes, radical 彡, rank #19570, Very Hard
bīn(bin1) T1
  1. 1ornamental; cultivated, refined, well-bred
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

彬bīn(bin1)

The character 彬 (bīn) refers to someone who is cultivated, refined, or well-bred, often associated with elegance and grace. It is commonly used to describe individuals who possess a strong sense of culture and sophistication, both in behavior and appearance. You might encounter this term in contexts related to literature, art, or social etiquette.

Strokes11Radical彡Frequency#19570DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of being refined and well-bred is highly valued, often associated with education and nobility. 彬 is used in names and phrases that denote respect and admiration for someone's cultured nature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'bín' (彬) who is dressed elegantly, surrounded by beautiful ornaments. The character 彬 visually resembles a person standing tall and refined, with the component on the left (彡) suggesting decoration. Picture this refined individual attending a cultured event, embodying the essence of sophistication.

Meanings of 彬

bīn(bin1)
1ornamental; cultivated, refined, well-bred
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 彬

彬Simplified
11Strokes
彡Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 彬

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Podcast: 彬

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AI Study Notes for 彬

Quick Contrast

文 (wén) vs 俊 (jùn) — choose 彬 (bīn) for a focus on cultivated refinement, while 文 (wén) emphasizes literary or cultural knowledge, and 俊 (jùn) highlights handsome or talented appearance.

Usage Notes

彬 is typically used in a more formal context, often when describing people or behaviors in literary or polite conversations. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding words, so pay attention to the tone. For example, using 'bin' instead of 'bīn' can change the meaning completely.

HSK Study Tips

While 彬 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with HSK Level 4 words that describe personality traits and qualities, such as 善良 (shànliáng - kind) or 文雅 (wényǎ - elegant). Focus on using 彬 to enhance your descriptions of people in conversations about culture or art.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 彬 with closely related characters, such as 斌 (bīn), which refers to a cultured man but lacks the ornamental nuance. Ensure you use 彬 to emphasize refinement and elegance in your descriptions.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 彬

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Etymology of 彬

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

Phonosemantic compound. 彡 represents the meaning and 林 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

hair

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 彬

Phonosemantic compound. 彡 represents the meaning and 林 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half彡 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half林 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhair
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 彬? 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 彬?

Decomposition of 彬

IDS Structure⿰林彡
彬Full Character
=
林Lin2
left
彡shan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 彬?

How to say ornamental; cultivated, refined, well-bred in Chinese

“ornamental; cultivated, refined, well-bred” in Chinese is彬bīn

The character 彬 (bīn) refers to someone who is cultivated, refined, or well-bred, often associated with elegance and grace. It is commonly used to describe individuals who possess a strong sense of culture and sophistication, both in behavior and appearance. You might encounter this term in contexts related to literature, art, or social etiquette.

When to use 彬

彬 is typically used in a more formal context, often when describing people or behaviors in literary or polite conversations. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding words, so pay attention to the tone. For example, using 'bin' instead of 'bīn' can change the meaning completely.

彬 or something close to it

文 (wén) vs 俊 (jùn) — choose 彬 (bīn) for a focus on cultivated refinement, while 文 (wén) emphasizes literary or cultural knowledge, and 俊 (jùn) highlights handsome or talented appearance.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 彬 with closely related characters, such as 斌 (bīn), which refers to a cultured man but lacks the ornamental nuance. Ensure you use 彬 to emphasize refinement and elegance in your descriptions.

Write 彬

彬

Practice writing 彬 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 彬

彬 carries one core meaning. 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 5

Complete the Sentence

他是个好小伙，非常温和，____彬有礼。

He was a nice fellow, very quiet and courteous.

Example Sentences for 彬 (5)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他是个好小伙，非常温和，彬彬有礼。

tā shì gè hǎo xiǎo huǒ， ， fēi cháng wēn， hé ， bīn bīn。

He was a nice fellow, very quiet and courteous.
2
绅士应该总是彬彬有礼,即便是对地位不及自己者.

shēn shì yīng gāi zǒng shì bīn bīn yǒu lǐ, , jí biàn shì duì dì wèi bù jí zì jǐ.

A gentleman should always be civil, even to his inferiors.
3
她拥有那种天生的优雅，举手投足都彬彬有礼。

tā yōng yǒu nà zhǒng tiān shēng de yōu yǎ， ， jǔ shǒu tóu zú dū bīn bīn yǒu。

She had that inbred politeness, it was a part of her.
4
他们总是很懂礼貌，彬彬有礼。

tā mén zǒng shì hěn dǒng lǐ mào， ， bīn bīn yǒu。

They are always perfectly polite and beautifully mannered.
5
噢, 彬格莱先生的马车要送他的朋友到麦里屯去, 赫斯脱夫妇又是有车无马.

ō, , bīn gé lái xiān shēng de mǎ chē yào sòng tā de péng yǒu dào mài lǐ tún, qù , hè sī tuō fū fù yòu shì yǒu chē.

Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley's chaise to go to Meryton; and the Hursts have no horses to theirs.

Word Family of 彬

Words Containing This Character5
彬bīnrefined
彬彬有礼bīnbīnyǒulǐurbane彬彬有禮
文质彬彬gentle文質彬彬
中山成彬NAKAYAMA Nariaki (1943-), right-wing Japanese cabinet minister and prominent denier of Japanese war crimes
彬县Bin County in Xianyang 咸陽|咸阳[Xián​yáng], Shaanxi彬縣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 彬 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 彬

You can say '他是一个很有彬彬有礼的人' (tā shì yīgè hěn yǒu bīn bīn yǒu lǐ de rén) meaning 'He is a very refined and polite person.'

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