How to Write 卑 (bēi) — Meaning “low; humble; inferior”

Picture a person wearing a white hat (白) and standing on a cross (十) — this person feels humble because they are low to the ground. The sound 'bei' also helps you remember 'be low.'

Start with a short horizontal stroke, then a left-falling stroke, a vertical, and a horizontal fold on the right. Inside that shape, write three short horizontals, and end with a long vertical stroke through the center. A common mistake is making the inner horizontals too long or forgetting to extend the final vertical below the bottom 十.

卑 (lowly) has a vertical stroke through the center, while 华 (splendid, China) has a top part like 化 and a horizontal line below. 倝 (rare, meaning sunrise) looks different with a 十 on top and 日 below; it is not used in common vocabulary.

卑 appears in words like 自卑 (low self-esteem), 卑微 (humble status), and 卑鄙 (despicable). It is not in the HSK, so learners encounter it in literature or psychology topics. Culturally, while humility is valued, 卑 often carries a negative or inferior connotation.

Common words containing 卑 include: 自卑 (zì bēi) — to feel inferior; low self-esteem; 卑微 (bēi wēi) — humble; lowly; 卑鄙 (bēi bǐ) — despicable; mean; contemptible.