How to Write 逼 (bī) — Meaning “to force; to compel”

Picture a person (畐, like a big head and body) being pushed forward by someone's hand, forced to walk (辶). The top part of 畐 looks like a pressure point pressing down, helping you recall the meaning 'to force.'

Write the right part 畐 first: horizontal line, then 口 (mouth), then 田 (field) underneath—make sure 口 is narrow and 田 is wider. The radical 辶 comes last with two strokes: first the curved line (like a hook), then the final dot; a common mistake is writing 辶 too small or misplacing it to the right.

逼 and 逋 share the radical 辶, but 逼 has the right part 畐 (meaning force) while 逋 has 甫 (meaning 'begin' or 'flee'), so 逋 means 'to flee' or 'to escape.' 逍 is different: its right part 肖 means 'resemble' and appears in 逍遥 (xiāoyáo, carefree), not related to forcing.

逼 is commonly used in formal and informal settings to express forcing or pressing, like 逼近 (approach) or 逼真 (lifelike). Be cautious: in slang, 逼 can appear in vulgar expressions (e.g., 牛逼 meaning 'awesome'), so it is best to stick with the HSK-level meanings for respectful communication.

Common words containing 逼 include: 逼近 (bī jìn) — to approach; to close in on; 强逼 (qiǎng bī) — To force, to coerce; 逼真 (bī zhēn) — lifelike; realistic.