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荜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
荜bìa kind of bean; Piper longtumx, 9 strokes, radical 艹
荜bìbeanunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹
荜bìpulseunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹
bì(bi4) T4
  1. 1a kind of bean; Piper longtum
  2. 2bean
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

荜(蓽)bì(bi4)

The character 荜 (bì) refers to a type of plant, specifically a bean or pulse. It is often associated with the Piper longum, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. This term is typically used in botanical or culinary contexts.

Strokes9Radical艹
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, various beans, including 荜, are valued for their health benefits, often used in herbal remedies and dietary practices.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tiny bean (荜) growing out of the ground, with its roots resembling the character's components. The '艹' radical at the top represents plants, and the bottom part '必' can remind you of a 'must-have' bean in your garden.

Meanings of 荜

bì(bi4)
1a kind of bean; Piper longtum
2bean
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 荜

荜Simplified
蓽Traditional
9Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 荜

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Podcast: 荜

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 荜

Usage Notes

When using 荜, it’s important to note that it is more commonly found in written or technical contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words, as this may lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

While 荜 is not included in HSK levels, it can be beneficial for learners focusing on botanical vocabulary. Connecting it with other HSK words related to food or plants can enhance understanding and retention.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 荜 with similar characters like 辟 (pì), which means to open up or to avoid. Make sure to remember that 荜 specifically refers to a type of bean, not an action.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 荜

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Etymology of 荜

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

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 毕 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蓽.

Memory Hint

plant

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 荜

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 毕 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蓽.

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half毕 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayplant
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 荜? 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 荜?

Decomposition of 荜

IDS Structure⿱艹毕
荜Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
毕Bi4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 荜?

How to say a kind of bean; Piper longtum in Chinese

“a kind of bean; Piper longtum” in Chinese is荜bì

The character 荜 (bì) refers to a type of plant, specifically a bean or pulse. It is often associated with the Piper longum, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. This term is typically used in botanical or culinary contexts.

When to use 荜

When using 荜, it’s important to note that it is more commonly found in written or technical contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words, as this may lead to misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 荜 with similar characters like 辟 (pì), which means to open up or to avoid. Make sure to remember that 荜 specifically refers to a type of bean, not an action.

Write 荜

荜

Practice writing 荜 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 荜

Words Containing This Character3
蓬荜生辉see also 蓬蓽生光|蓬荜生光[péng​bì​shēng​guāng]蓬蓽生輝
荜bìbean蓽
蓬门荜户humble home蓬門蓽戶
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 蓬荜生辉 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 荜

The pinyin for 荜 is 'bì', pronounced with a falling tone.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 荜?

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