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邶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
bèia place in Henan provinceg, 7 strokes, radical 阝, Very Hard
bèiname of a feudal stateunknown, 7 strokes, radical 阝, Very Hard
bèi(bei4) T4
  1. 1a place in Henan province
  2. 2name of a feudal state
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March 24, 2026
bèi(bei4)

邶 (bèi) refers to an ancient city located in present-day Henan province, China, and it was also the name of one of the feudal states during the Spring and Autumn Period. This character is often encountered in historical texts and discussions about Chinese history and geography.

Strokes7RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

邶's significance is rooted in its historical context, particularly during the Spring and Autumn Period, when it was one of the states vying for power. Understanding this character can provide insights into the political landscape of ancient China.

Memory Tip

Imagine a soldier (the left radical 邑 means 'city') standing at the gates of the ancient city of 邶, calling out its name 'bèi'. Picture the soldier waving a banner that says 'Welcome to our feudal state!', making it easier to remember both the character and its meaning.

Meanings of 邶

bèi(bei4)
1a place in Henan province
2name of a feudal state
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 邶

Simplified
7Strokes
Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 邶

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AI Study Notes for 邶

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a soldier (the left radical 邑 means 'city') standing at the gates of the ancient city of 邶, calling out its name 'bèi'. Picture the soldier waving a banner that says 'Welcome to our feudal state!', making it easier to remember both the character and its meaning.

Usage Notes

邶 is primarily used in historical contexts. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding characters. Be aware that it is rarely used in modern conversation, making it more suitable for academic or literary discussions.

HSK Study Tips

Since 邶 is not included in HSK vocabulary lists, learners should focus on recognizing it in historical texts and understanding its context rather than trying to use it in everyday conversation. It can also be associated with other historical terms and characters found in classical Chinese literature.

Cultural Note

邶's significance is rooted in its historical context, particularly during the Spring and Autumn Period, when it was one of the states vying for power. Understanding this character can provide insights into the political landscape of ancient China.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly pronounce 邶 as 'yī' due to its visual similarity to other characters. The correct pronunciation is 'bèi', so it’s important to practice distinguishing it from similarly shaped characters.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 邶

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Etymology of 邶

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

place

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 邶?

Decomposition of 邶

IDS Structure⿰北阝
Full Character
=
bei3
left
yi4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 邶?

Write 邶

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

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Cultural Notes for 邶

🏮Cultural insight

邶's significance is rooted in its historical context, particularly during the Spring and Autumn Period, when it was one of the states vying for power. Understanding this character can provide insights into the political landscape of ancient China.

Word Family of 邶

Words Containing This Character1
bèiname of a feudal state
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 邶 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 邶

邶 refers to an ancient city in Henan province and was also a name of a feudal state.