卑 (bēi): low, base, vulgar
卑 (bēi) is a Chinese character meaning “low.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 白 (structural) and 十 (structural). It ranks #2027 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 卑 a hand 又(altered) holding an empty shell 甲 (altered). Its radical form 十 (ten) appears in many related characters such as 十 (shí, ten), 午 (wǔ, 7th earthly branch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., noon, 5th solar month (6th June-6th July), year of the Horse), 半 (bàn, half).
Definitions
- low
- base
- vulgar
Etymology & Origin
ideographicA hand 又(altered) holding an empty shell 甲 (altered)
Decomposition: ⿱白十 (layout: top-bottom)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 卑 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 卑鄙adjective | bēi bǐ | base |
| 卑微adjective | bēi wēi | lowly |
| 卑劣adjective | bēi liè | base |
| 谦卑adjective | qiān bēi | humble |
| 自卑adjective | zì bēi | to have low self-esteem |
| 卑贱adjective | bēi jiàn | lowly |
| 卑尔根proper-noun | bēi ěr gēn | Bergen |
| 卑下adjective | bēi xià | base |
| 卑怯adjective | bēi qiè | mean and cowardly |
| 不卑不亢phrase | bù bēi bù kàng | neither servile nor overbearing (idiom) |
| 卑污adjective | bēi wū | despicable and filthy |
| 自卑心理 | zì bēi xīn lǐ | sense of inferiority |
| 卑不足道phrase | bēi bù zú dào | not worth mentioning |
| 卑之，无甚高论 | bēi zhī , wú shèn gāo lùn | my opinion, nothing very involved (idiom, humble expression) |
| 阿尔卑斯proper-noun | ā ěr bēi sī | alps (mountain range) |
卑 appears in 35 compound words: 69 as the first character, 17 as the last, and 14 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 卑 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (13)
male domination and female subordination; male chauvinism; treatment of females as inferior to males
male domination and female subordination; male chauvinism; treatment of females as inferior to males
Showing 12 of 13 idioms containing 卑.
Example Sentences
卑字的写法很特别，让我印象深刻。
bēi zì de xiě fǎ hěn tè bié , ràng wǒ yìn xiàng shēn kè .
The way the character "卑" is written is quite unique and left a deep impression on me.
委屈全吞下!4星座“掏心掏肺”却最卑微 他忍到心碎才抽离
wěi qū quán tūn xià ! 4 xīng zuò tāo xīn tāo fèi què zuì bēi wēi tā rěn dào xīn suì cái chōu lí
Swallowing all their grievances! 4 zodiac signs who give their all yet end up feeling the most worthless—they endure until their hearts are broken before finally walking away
...白宫会特朗普夸张表现褒贬不一 网民:为何卑躬屈膝地向对方低头
. . . bái gōng huì tè lǎng pǔ kuā zhāng biǎo xiàn bāo biǎn bù yī wǎng mín : wéi hé bēi gōng qū xī dì xiàng duì fāng dī tóu
...Reactions to Trump's theatrical behavior at the White House are mixed; netizens ask: Why are they kowtowing to him?
高市早苗白宫会特朗普卑躬屈膝态度遭狠批 日网民斥:夸张表情让我...
gāo shì zǎo miáo bái gōng huì tè lǎng pǔ bēi gōng qū xī tài dù zāo hěn pī rì wǎng mín chì : kuā zhāng biǎo qíng ràng wǒ . . .
Sanae Takagi's Obsequious Attitude During White House Meeting with Trump Draws Harsh Criticism; Japanese Netizens Say: "Her Exaggerated Expressions Make Me..."
...“无知的猪”引爆文理大战 理科生回呛:自卑出优越感
. . . wú zhī de zhū yǐn bào wén lǐ dà zhàn lǐ kē shēng huí qiàng : zì bēi chū yōu yuè gǎn
...“Ignorant Pigs” Spark Arts vs. Sciences Feud; Science Students Fire Back: “Inferiority Complex Fuels a Sense of Superiority”
阿尔卑斯高山牧场:田园风光背后的艰难现实
ā ěr bēi sī gāo shān mù chǎng : tián yuán fēng guāng bèi hòu de jiān nán xiàn shí
Alpine pastures: the hard reality behind the idyllic scenery
游客到瑞士欣赏阿尔卑斯山。
Yóukè dào Ruìshì xīnshǎng ā'ěrbēisī shān.
Visitors to Switzerland admire the Alps.
阿尔卑斯山地跨欧洲八国。
ā'ěrbēisī shāndì kuà ōuzhōu bā guó.
The Alps extend across eight European countries.
我为你的卑鄙行径刚到羞耻。
Wǒ wèi nǐ de bēibǐ xíngjìng gāng dào xiūchǐ.
I am ashamed of your despicable deed.
这是阿尔卑斯山脉最高的山峰之一。
Zhè shì ā'ěrbēisī shānmài zuì gāo de shānfēng zhīyī.
It's among the highest mountains in the Alps.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 卑 (bēi) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 卑 and 第?
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What is the radical of 卑?
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What are common words containing 卑?
What characters sound the same as 卑 (bēi)?
Is 卑 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 卑 with real-time feedback
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