How to Write 筚 (bì) — Meaning “Wattle; bamboo fence”

Picture a bamboo fence (竹) that is "completed" (毕) around a small house. Imagine finishing a fence made of bamboo sticks to help recall the top and bottom parts. The sound of 毕 (bì) also matches the character's pronunciation.

Write the bamboo radical 竹 as two separate halves, left then right, with the left side slightly narrower. For the bottom part 毕, start with a horizontal stroke, then vertical, horizontal, horizontal, vertical, and final horizontal; this section should be centered under the bamboo top. A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide, which throws off the balance.

筚 has 毕 under the bamboo radical, meaning bamboo fence (humble home). 笄 (jī) has 开 (open) under bamboo and means a hairpin. 笆 (bā) has 巴 under bamboo and usually means a bamboo fence or a kind of bamboo. Focus on the bottom part: 毕, 开, and 巴 are visually distinct.

筚 is not common in daily speech but appears in classical idioms like 筚路蓝缕 (bì lù lán lǚ), which means driving a cart in ragged clothes, symbolizing hardship and pioneering effort. It is also used in 筚门 (bì mén) to describe a very poor household. These phrases are mostly literary or historical references.

Common words containing 筚 include: 筚门 (bì mén) — Wicker gate (symbolizing a humble home); 筚路 (bì lù) — Firewood cart (symbolizing hardship); 筚篥 (bì lì) — Bili (an ancient double-reed wind instrument).