笔
Character learning workspace

bǐ · pen, pencil, writing brush

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 2Frequency #1245
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 笔

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 笔 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

10Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

⺮Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 笔 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 笔

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

bǐWords pronounced bǐ
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 笔 sits in each complete thought.

Zhè běn bǐ jì běn bú shì nǐ de, shì tā de.这本笔记本不是你的,是他的。

The notebook is not yours. It's his.

Source: Tatoeba #10707389 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā bǎ zhè jì zài tā de bǐ jì běn shàng.他把这记在他的笔记本上。

He wrote it down in his notebook.

Source: Tatoeba #333745 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ néng yòng yí xià nǐ de qiān bǐ ma?我能用一下你的铅笔吗?

Can I borrow your pencil for a bit?

Source: Tatoeba #333383 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ de gāng bǐ shì xīn de.我的钢笔是新的。

My fountain pen is new.

Source: Tatoeba #710912 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ xiǎng jiè nǐ de bǐ jì yòng yí xià.我想借你的笔记用一下。

I'd like to borrow your notes for a bit.

Source: Tatoeba #756871 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Qǐng gěi wǒ kàn yí xià nǐ de bǐ jì běn.请给我看一下你的笔记本。

Please show me your notebook.

Source: Tatoeba #735322 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 笔 in context

  1. Say bǐ, then recall the core meaning: pen, pencil, writing brush.
  2. Write all 10 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 笔记 (bǐ jì), meaning “to take down”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 笔 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.