How to Write 杯 (bēi) — Meaning “cup; glass; trophy”

Imagine a wooden cup (木) with a big 'X' (like the shape of 不) painted on it, meaning 'do not spill'. This visual of a wooden cup with a 'no' sign helps you recall 杯 means cup.

Write the left radical 木 narrower than the right part 不. The stroke order for 不 is: horizontal, left-falling, vertical, then dot at the end. A common mistake is making the right side too tall or forgetting the final dot.

杯 has 不 on the right, forming a cup. 朱 (zhū) has a horizontal line through the wood radical meaning vermilion, while 朴 (pǔ) has 卜 (simple) on the right meaning plain. The right sides are visually distinct: 不 (five strokes), 卜 (two strokes), and 朱's special shape.

杯 is used for any drinking vessel like 杯子 (cup) and in toasts like 干杯 (cheers!). It also appears in 奖杯 (trophy). Culturally, saying '干杯' while clinking glasses is a common social ritual in China.

Common words containing 杯 include: 杯子 (bēi zi) — cup; glass; 干杯 (gān bēi) — cheers! / bottoms up!; 茶杯 (chá bēi) — teacup.