The character 边 — “side”: how to write it and what it means
side, edge
The Chinese character 边 is read biān and means “side, edge”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 边
边 has 5 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 边, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 边 is made of
On the left, 辶 “walk”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 边
- 这边this side, this wayHSK 1
- 那边that side, that wayHSK 1
- 外边outsideHSK 1
- 左边on the leftHSK 2
- 右边on the rightHSK 2
- 旁边beside, next toHSK 2
- 身边by one's sideHSK 3
- 路边roadsideHSK 3
- 一边while (一边…一边)HSK 3
- 周边surroundings, vicinityHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 边?
边 has 5 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 边 mean?
边 means “side, edge”. It appears in 这边 (“this side”), 那边 (“that side”), 外边 (“outside”), 左边 (“on the left”).
How do you pronounce 边?
边 is read biān. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 边 have?
5 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 边 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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