How to Write 啚 (bǐ) — Meaning “Mean; low; vulgar”

Imagine a vulgar person opening their mouth (口) and shouting across a valley (㕣), producing rude echoes. The mouth above the valley visual helps you recall that 啚 means vulgar or low.

Write the top 口 first (4 strokes), then the bottom 㕣 (7 strokes). A common mistake is making the lower part too tall or confusing its three horizontal strokes with just two. Keep the proportions balanced: the mouth should be about one-third of the character's height.

啚 means vulgar or mean, while 呲 (cī) refers to a scolding sound or to hiss, and 咠 (qì) means to whisper. Visually, 啚 has 口 on top of 㕣, 呲 has 口 beside 此 (to compare), and 咠 has 口 below 耳 (ear). Their pronunciations and uses are all distinct.

啚 is very rare today and not part of the HSK list. It appears mostly in classical texts or as a variant of the standard character 鄙 (bǐ, vulgar). You might encounter it in old literature or calligraphy, but in modern writing, use 鄙 instead.

Common words containing 啚 include: 啚夫 (bǐ fū) — A vulgar or mean person; 啚野 (bǐ yě) — Vulgar; rustic; unrefined; 啚贱 (bǐ jiàn) — Lowly; mean; despicable.