How to Write 邶 (bèi) — Meaning “Bei (name of an ancient state)”

Picture a city wall (阝) with a sign pointing north (北) – together they form 邶, which was the name of a northern ancient state. You can also imagine the word "bay" (like Bei) as the sound of a northern harbor city to help recall the meaning.

Write the left radical 阝 first, with the hook ending before the middle of the character, then write the right side 北 by starting with the left vertical stroke, then the two horizontals, and finally the right vertical and horizontal. Make sure the left radical is taller and narrower than 北, and the bottoms of both sides are aligned.

All three have the same left radical 阝 and are ancient states, but their right parts differ. 邶 has 北 (north), 邗 has 干 (shield), and 邘 has 于 (at). Visually, 邶's right side has two vertical strokes with horizontal lines, while 邗 and 邘 have simpler shapes with one vertical line each.

邶 is rarely used in daily conversation; it appears mainly in historical or literary references like 邶国 (the State of Bei) or 邶风 (odes from that state in the Classic of Poetry). It can also be a rare surname (姓邶), but most Chinese people would only encounter it in ancient texts or historical discussions.

Common words containing 邶 include: 邶国 (bèi guó) — State of Bei (ancient Chinese state); 邶风 (bèi fēng) — Odes of Bei (a section in the Classic of Poetry); 姓邶 (xìng bèi) — Surname Bei.