笔
笔 (bǐ) means “pen”. It is made of ⺮ + 毛 and has 10 strokes, and is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 笔 into its parts
What 笔 is made of
- ⺮ zhú — bamboo
- 毛 máo — hair
- 乇 tuō — to depend on
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 七 qī — seven
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 乇 tuō — to depend on
Origin hint: A bamboo rod ⺮ tipped with hair 毛 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
笔 stroke order
Example sentences
我没带笔。Wǒ méi dài bǐ.I didn't bring a pen.
你的笔在哪儿？Nǐ de bǐ zài nǎr?Where is your pen?
Words with 笔
Also built with ⺮
- 笑xiàoto smile
- 符fúamulet
- 笨bènstupid
- 第dìordinal prefix (first, second…)
- 笼lóngbasket
- 等děngto wait
- 筋jīnmuscles
- 筐kuāngbasket
- 筑zhùbuilding
- 筒tǒngtube
- 答dáto answer
- 策cèto urge
Quick facts
| Pinyin | bǐ |
|---|---|
| Meaning | pen; pencil; stroke |
| Strokes | 10 |
| Radical | 竹 (bamboo, #118) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 2 (exam 2025) · HSK 2 (2021) |
Questions about 笔
What does 笔 mean?
笔 (bǐ) means “pen; pencil; stroke”.
How many strokes does 笔 have?
笔 has 10 strokes.
What is the radical of 笔?
The radical of 笔 is 竹 (zhú, “bamboo”), Kangxi radical number 118.
What parts make up 笔?
笔 is made of ⺮ (bamboo) and 毛 (hair).
Which HSK level is 笔?
笔 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).
Learn 笔 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 20: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.