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How to Write 弊 (bì) — Meaning “fraud, harm, or disadvantage”

bì HSK Level 7 14 strokes Radical: 廾

弊 (bì) means "fraud, harm, or disadvantage" in Chinese. It has 14 strokes with the radical 廾, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 3.8/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 32% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 利弊 (lì bì), 弊端 (bì duān), 作弊 (zuò bì).

Due to its 14 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 弊 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 弊 - bì

Practice Writing 弊 (bì)

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How to Write 弊

The character 弊 (bì) is written with 14 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 廾 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does bì (弊) Mean in Chinese?

弊 means fraud, harm, or disadvantage.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 弊 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character弊
Pinyinbì (bi)
Meaningfraud, harm, or disadvantage
Strokes14
Radical廾
HSK Level7
Difficulty3.8/5

Origin of 弊

The character 弊 combines 敝 (shabby, worn-out) and 廾 (two hands holding). 敝 itself shows a hand striking cloth (巾) with a stick (攴), creating tears and damage. The hands emphasize handling a damaged item, which extends to the concepts of fraud (using flawed goods) and harm (the resulting disadvantage).

💡 Memory Tip: Picture two hands (廾) offering a torn, shabby cloth (敝) in a shady deal—this flawed item brings only fraud and harm to the buyer.

Common Words with 弊

利弊 lì bì
Pros and cons.
弊端 bì duān
drawback or loophole
作弊 zuò bì
to cheat (in exams or games)

Example Sentences

这件事有利也有弊。

zhè jiàn shì yǒu lì yě yǒu bì

This matter has both pros and cons.

我们要发现制度的弊端。

wǒ men yào fā xiàn zhì dù de bì duān

We should identify the flaws in the system.

考试绝对不能作弊。

kǎo shì jué duì bù néng zuò bì

You must never cheat on an exam.

Stroke order practice for 弊 - bì

Practice Writing 弊 (bì)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 弊 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 弊

The character 弊 is composed of the radical 廾 (two hands) on the bottom, and the top part is 敝 (bì) which means 'shabby' or 'to break'. Together, the structure suggests 'breaking something with two hands to cause harm or disadvantage.' This visually links the components to the character's meanings of fraud, harm, or disadvantage.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 廾

廿niàn开kāi弁biàn异yì弃qì弄lòng/nòng弇yǎn弈yì

Other 14-Stroke Characters

㕡hé僖xī僚liáo僦jiù僧sēng僬jiāo僭jiàn僮tóng僳sù儆jǐng