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偏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
偏piānto leanHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piānto slantHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piānobliqueHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piānprejudicedHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piānto deviate from averageHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piānto stray from the intended lineHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piānstubbornlyHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piāncontrary to expectationsHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piānleft-hand side of a split Chinese character, often the key or radicalHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
偏piānslanting, inclined; prejudicedHSK 7, a, 11 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4226, Hard
piān(pian1) T1
  1. 1to lean
  2. 2to slant
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
偏piān(pian1)

The character 偏 (piān) primarily means to lean or slant. It can describe something that is not aligned or deviates from the norm, whether physically or metaphorically, such as holding a biased opinion. It is often used in contexts involving partiality or inclination towards one side.

Strokes11Radical亻Frequency#4226DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

偏 is often associated with traditional Chinese views on balance and harmony, wherein leaning too much to one side is seen as undesirable. In Chinese philosophy, maintaining balance is essential, making this character particularly significant.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person leaning to one side while holding a heavy load; this visual helps you remember '偏' (piān) means 'to lean'. The left part, '偏', resembles a person tilting, while the right part can be thought of as a heavy burden that causes the slant.

Meanings of 偏

piān(pian1)
1to lean
2to slant
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 偏

偏Simplified
11Strokes
亻Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#4226Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 偏

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Podcast: 偏

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AI Study Notes for 偏

Quick Contrast

偏 (piān) vs 侧 (cè) — use 偏 for bias or inclination, while 侧 refers to a physical side or lateral position.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person leaning to one side while holding a heavy load; this visual helps you remember '偏' (piān) means 'to lean'. The left part, '偏', resembles a person tilting, while the right part can be thought of as a heavy burden that causes the slant.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes with 偏 include using it in contexts where '偏见' (prejudice) is implied but not specifying this bias. It is informal and can have a negative connotation, so be cautious in formal speech. Typical collocations include '偏见' (prejudice) and '偏好' (preference).

HSK Study Tips

Though not currently on the HSK list, understanding 偏 can enhance vocabulary related to opinions and preferences. Students at this level should focus on recognizing its use in context, particularly in phrases that indicate bias or inclination.

Cultural Note

偏 is often associated with traditional Chinese views on balance and harmony, wherein leaning too much to one side is seen as undesirable. In Chinese philosophy, maintaining balance is essential, making this character particularly significant.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 偏 with 偏见 (prejudice) and use it incorrectly as a synonym for general bias without context. For instance, saying '我有偏' instead of '我有偏见' is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 偏

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Etymology of 偏

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

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 扁 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

person

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 偏?

Decomposition of 偏

IDS Structure⿰亻扁
偏Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
扁bian3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 偏?

Write 偏

偏

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

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Grammar Patterns of 偏

偏 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 10 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 lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

北方的冬天极其寒冷，可他圣诞节____要去那儿旅行。

Winters in the north are extremely cold, yet he insists on traveling there for Christmas.

Example Sentences for 偏 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我打电话是要谈谈你写的有关“偏见”的系列文章。

wǒ dǎ diàn huà shì yào tán tán nǐ xiě de yǒu guān“ “ piān” jiàn ” de xì liè。

I'm calling in reference to your series on prejudice.
2
这是否是原本良好的增长曲线中暂时的偏离？

zhè shì fǒu shì yuán běn liáng hǎo de zēng cháng qū xiàn zhōng zàn shí de piān lí？

Was it just a temporary blip on an otherwise healthy growth curve?
3
这篇修正主义的论文更加偏离了马克思主义的主张。

zhè piān xiū zhèng zhǔ yì de lùn wén gēng jiā piān lí le mǎ kè sī zhǔ yì de zhǔ zhāng。

This revisionist thesis departs even further from Marxist assertions.
4
我所从事的职业中暗藏着如此深的种族主义偏见，这让我感到害怕。

wǒ suǒ cóng shì de zhí yè zhōng àn cáng zháo rú cǐ shēn de zhǒng zú zhǔ yì piān jiàn， ， zhè ràng wǒ gǎn dào hài。

The depth of covert racism in my own profession frightens me.
5
我认为你在南美度过的青少年时代让你产生了偏见。

wǒ rèn wéi nǐ zài nán měi dù guò de qīng shǎo nián shí dài ràng nǐ chǎn shēng le piān jiàn。

I think your South American youth has prejudiced you.
6
我认为新闻记者不应当有丝毫偏见。

wǒ rèn wéi xīn wén jì zhě bù yīng dāng yǒu sī háo piān jiàn。

I believe that a journalist should be completely objective.
7
我偏爱加有新鲜水果的精致油酥甜点。

wǒ piān ài jiā yǒu xīn xiān shuǐ guǒ de jīng zhì yóu sū tián diǎn。

I am partial to desserts that combine fresh fruit with fine pastry.
8
这块场地偏软，有一些马跑得很费劲。

zhè kuài cháng dì piān ruǎn， ， yǒu yī xiē mǎ pǎo dé hěn fèi。

The going was soft; some horses found it hard work.
9
它确实是个偏僻的地方。

tā què shí shì gè piān pì de dì fāng。

It's an isolated spot all right.
10
他给人的感觉是特别偏爱穿跑步鞋。

tā gěi rén de gǎn jué shì tè bié piān ài chuān pǎo bù xié。

He has demonstrated a strong preference for being shod in running shoes.

Cultural Notes for 偏

🏮Cultural insight

偏 is often associated with traditional Chinese views on balance and harmony, wherein leaning too much to one side is seen as undesirable. In Chinese philosophy, maintaining balance is essential, making this character particularly significant.

Word Family of 偏

Words Containing This Character20
偏piānto lean
偏见piānjiànprejudice偏見
偏偏piānpiānas it happened
偏离to deviate偏離
偏执prejudice偏執
偏僻piānpìremote
偏爱to favor偏愛
偏差piānchābias
偏远piānyuǎnremote偏遠
偏向piānxiàngto prefer
偏好to prefer
偏袒to bare one shoulder
偏激extreme (usu. of thoughts, speech, circumstances)
偏重to emphasize sth unduly
偏心partial
偏颇biased偏頗
偏方piānfāngfolk remedy
偏移displacement
偏转deflection (physics)偏轉
不偏不倚even-handed
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 偏 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 偏

偏 can mean leaning, slanting, or having a bias. In everyday conversation, it often describes personal preferences or biased opinions.