How to Write 陂 (bēi/pí) — Meaning “pond / slope”

Think of a pond on a hillside where the water surface looks like 'skin' (皮) stretched flat over the slope. The pinyin 'bēi' sounds like 'bay', which is another word for a small pond. This image helps you link the character's sound and meaning.

Start with the left radical 阝: write the horizontal hook first, then the vertical stroke. Next write the right part 皮: first the horizontal hook (similar to 阝), then the left stroke, a right stroke, and finally the curved hook. A common mistake is making the left 阝 too wide or mixing the order of strokes on the right.

All three have the same left radical 阝, but the right parts differ: 陂 uses 皮 (skin), 邗 uses 干 (dry), and 邘 uses 于 (in/at). While 邗 and 邘 are mainly used in ancient place names, 陂 specifically means 'pond' or 'slope' and appears in modern place names like 黄陂. Visually, the right side of 陂 has extra strokes that make it distinct.

陂 is not common in daily conversation but appears in place names, such as 黄陂 (Huángpí), a district in Wuhan, China. It is also found in classical poetry and geography texts to refer to a pond or hillside. For example, 陂塘 means 'pond', and 山陂 means 'mountain slope'.

Common words containing 陂 include: 陂塘 (bēi táng) — pond; 山陂 (shān bēi) — Mountain slope; 黄陂 (huáng pí) — Huangpi (a district in Wuhan).