How to Write 嬖 (bì) — Meaning “To favor; a favorite (usually a concubine or official)”

Imagine a king (辟) who places a woman (女) on a pedestal because she is his favorite. The top part 辟 looks like a person with a crown, and the bottom 女 is the woman he favors — so remember "the crowned one's favorite woman."

Pay attention to the top part 辟: it has nine strokes and must be written narrow so the bottom 女 fits under it. The 女 radical at the bottom should be slightly wider than the top to keep the character balanced. A common mistake is making the top too tall, which ruins the proportion.

嬖 (bì) means "to favor or a favorite" and specifically refers to a person, while 嫖 (piáo) means "to visit a prostitute" and has a different left component. 嫘 (léi) is a rare character used in the name of the silk goddess Leizu and has the radical 女 with a different phonetic part (累). Visually, 嬖 has 辟 on top, not 票 or 累.

嬖 is very rare in modern Chinese and appears mostly in historical or literary texts about ancient court favorites, such as 嬖臣 (a favored but corrupt official). You might encounter it in classical idioms or historical novels, but it is not used in daily conversation. Culturally, it reflects the negative idea of a ruler's excessive favoritism toward a subordinate or concubine.

Common words containing 嬖 include: 嬖幸 (bì xìng) — To favor; a favorite subordinate or concubine; 嬖臣 (bì chén) — A favored official; a sycophant; 宠嬖 (chǒng bì) — To favor; a favorite (often a concubine)..