How to Write 庳 (bì) — Meaning “low and small”

Picture a humble little house (广) that is very low to the ground (like a shack). The bottom part 卑 reminds you of its meaning "humble" or "low", so together 庳 is a low and small building.

First write the radical 广 with three strokes, then complete the bottom part 卑 with nine strokes (total 11). Make sure the 广 covers the top of 卑, and inside 卑, the 白 and 十 are written in the proper order: left vertical, horizontal fold, left vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, etc. A common mistake is making the 广 too narrow or misplacing the bottom strokes.

㢆 is a rare character with the same radical but a different bottom (㢆 is not commonly used). 庠 (xiáng) means "school" and has the bottom component 羊 (sheep). In contrast, 庳 means "low and small" and has 卑 as its bottom. Visually, 庳's bottom is more complex than 庠's bottom 羊.

庳 is not common in daily language but appears in classical texts and formal words like 庳小 (bì xiǎo, low and small) and 卑庳 (bēi bì, low-lying or humble). It is sometimes used to describe a low place or a modest dwelling, and you might encounter it in older literature or place names.

Common words containing 庳 include: 庳小 (bì xiǎo) — low and small; 庳陋 (bì lòu) — low and crude; 卑庳 (bēi bì) — low-lying; humble.