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倍 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
倍bèi(two, three etc) -foldHSK 4, m, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #1789, Medium
倍bèitimes (multiplier)HSK 4, m, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #1789, Medium
倍bèidoubleHSK 4, m, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #1789, Medium
倍bèito increase or multiplyHSK 4, m, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #1789, Medium
倍bèito double; to increase or multiplyHSK 4, m, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #1789, Medium
bèi(bei4) T4
  1. 1(two, three etc) -fold
  2. 2times (multiplier)
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March 24, 2026
倍bèi(bei4)

The character 倍 (bèi) is used to indicate a multiplication factor, such as 'twice' or 'three times'. It is commonly used in mathematical contexts or to express increases in quantity, emphasizing the extent of multiplication or doubling. For example, '两倍' (liǎng bèi) means 'twice' or 'double'.

Strokes10Radical亻Frequency#1789DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of doubling or multiplying is often tied to prosperity and success, as seen in customs during the Lunar New Year where wishes for 'double happiness' are common.

Memory Tip

Imagine a pair of binoculars (the two 'lenses' represent '倍'), helping you see things twice as clearly. The 'bèi' sound can remind you of 'bay', where you can see double the views.

Meanings of 倍

bèi(bei4)
1(two, three etc) -fold
2times (multiplier)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 倍

倍Simplified
10Strokes
亻Radical
数词shùcínumeral (num.)Part of Speech
#1789Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 倍

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Podcast: 倍

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AI Study Notes for 倍

Quick Contrast

倍 (bèi) vs 次 (cì) — use 倍 for multiplication factors, while 次 refers to frequency or order.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a pair of binoculars (the two 'lenses' represent '倍'), helping you see things twice as clearly. The 'bèi' sound can remind you of 'bay', where you can see double the views.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include misusing 倍 with single quantities instead of multiplicative contexts. It is more formal and should be used in contexts where precision in quantity is needed, such as in academic or financial discussions. Be careful with tones; 倍 is pronounced with a falling tone (bèi).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 4 word, 倍 connects with other mathematical terms and quantifiers. Students should focus on its usage in comparisons and multiplicative expressions, such as '增加倍数' (increased by times).

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of doubling or multiplying is often tied to prosperity and success, as seen in customs during the Lunar New Year where wishes for 'double happiness' are common.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 倍 with similar terms like 次 (cì), which means 'times' in a different context. For example, saying '我吃了两次' (I ate two times) instead of '我吃了两倍' is incorrect when referring to quantity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 倍

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Etymology of 倍

Learn more about character formation (六书)

Decomposition of 倍

IDS Structure⿰亻咅
倍Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
咅pou3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 倍?

Write 倍

倍

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

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Grammar Patterns of 倍

倍 functions as a number. It almost always combines with a measure word before a noun (三个人, 五本书). Standalone numbers are rare outside of math or counting. 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.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

赢得如此重大的比赛确实使我信心____增。

It did give me a boost to win such a big event.

Usage Notes for 倍

Usage in Mathematical ExpressionsGrammar Tip

倍 is often used in mathematical contexts to express multiplication or ratios.

1

这个数是那个数的两倍。

This number is twice that number.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

这个数是那个数的两____。

This number is twice that number.

Example Sentences for 倍 (10)

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1
赢得如此重大的比赛确实使我信心倍增。

yíng dé rú cǐ zhòng dà de bǐ sài què shí shǐ wǒ xìn xīn bèi zēng。

It did give me a boost to win such a big event.
2
它的利润增长速度比一般公司快4倍。

tā de lì rùn zēng cháng sù dù bǐ yī bān gōng sī kuài4 4。

Its profits are rising four times faster than the average company.
3
到80年代末的时候，他们的数量已是原来的4倍。

dào80 80 nián dài mò de shí， hòu ， tā mén de shù liáng yǐ shì yuán4 lái。

By the late eighties their number had grown fourfold.
4
有700多万股换手，是通常日平均成交量的3倍。

yǒu700 700 duō wàn gǔ huàn， shǒu ， shì tōng cháng rì píng jūn chéng jiāo3 liáng。

More than 7 million shares changed hands, treble the normal daily average.
5
在随后的10年中，两个公司的规模扩大为原来的10倍。

zài suí hòu de10 10 nián， zhōng ， liǎng gè gōng sī de guī mó kuò dà wéi yuán10 lái。

The two companies grew tenfold in the ensuing ten years.
6
我得到了一份非常好的新工作，薪水涨到了原来的3倍。

wǒ dé dào le yī fèn fēi cháng hǎo de xīn gōng zuò， ， xīn shuǐ zhǎng dào le yuán lái3 de。

I got a fantastic new job and my salary tripled.
7
该市的囚犯人数增长了两倍，达到21,000人。

gāi shì de qiú fàn rén shù zēng cháng le liǎng bèi， ， dá21,000 dào。

The city has trebled the number of its prisoners to 21,
8
经理的人数在3年内必须翻倍达到100人。

jīng lǐ de rén shù zài3 3 nián nèi bì xū fān bèi dá100 dào。

The number of managers must double to 100 within 3 years.
9
我们所有人都必须加倍努力。

wǒ mén suǒ yǒu rén dū bì xū jiā bèi nǔ lì。

It is incumbent upon all of us to make an extra effort.
10
新发现的行星大约是地球的10倍那么大。

xīn fā xiàn de háng xīng dà yuē shì dì qiú de10 10 bèi nà mó。

The new planet is about ten times the size of the earth.

Cultural Notes for 倍

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of doubling or multiplying is often tied to prosperity and success, as seen in customs during the Lunar New Year where wishes for 'double happiness' are common.

Word Family of 倍

Compounds1
蓓bei4flower bud
Words Containing This Character20
倍bèidouble
加倍to double
倍感to feel even more
百倍a hundredfold
倍增to double
事半功倍a stitch in time saves nine
倍数multiple倍數
双倍twofold雙倍
安倍Abe (Japanese surname)
倍儿very倍兒
翻倍to double
安倍晋三Abe Shinzo (1954-), Japanese LDP politician, prime minister 2006-2007 and from 2012安倍晉三
事倍功半twice the effort for half the result
二倍体diploid (in cell biology)二倍體
每逢佳节倍思亲doubly homesick for our dear ones at each festive day (from a poem by Wang Wei 王維|王维[Wáng​Wéi])每逢佳節倍思親
信心百倍brimming with confidence (idiom)
单倍体haploid (single chromosome)單倍體
多倍体polyploid (multiple chromosomes)多倍體
最小公倍数least common multiple最小公倍數
八倍体octoploid八倍體
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 蓓 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 倍

倍 (bèi) refers specifically to a multiplication factor, indicating how many times something occurs or is increased. On the other hand, 次 (cì) is used to indicate the number of occurrences or instances, such as '一次' (yī cì) meaning 'one time'.