How to Write 蔽 (bì) — Meaning “to cover / to shelter”

Picture a patch of grass (艹) spreading over an old, shabby (敝) object to hide it from view. The grass acts like a blanket covering the worn-out thing, which reminds you of the meaning "to cover."

Start with the grass radical 艹 across the top, making it wide enough to cover the lower part. Then write 敝 with careful stroke order: the left side has a dot and two short strokes, followed by 巾 (cloth) and 攵 (tap). A common mistake is making the lower part too narrow or confusing the strokes of 敝.

蔽 means to cover or shelter, while 莿 (cì) means a thorn or spike, and 菐 (pú) is a rare character for a kind of grass or disorder. Visually, 蔽 has 敝 below, 莿 has 刺 (thorn) below, and 菐 has 菐 (a different lower part). Their meanings and readings are completely different.

蔽 appears in formal or written words like 遮蔽 (to shelter), 隐蔽 (concealed or to take cover), and 掩蔽 (to mask or screen). It is often used in military or literary contexts, such as describing soldiers hiding behind cover. You will not hear it often in casual conversation.

Common words containing 蔽 include: 遮蔽 (zhē bì) — To shelter; to cover.; 隐蔽 (yǐn bì) — concealed; to take cover; 掩蔽 (yǎn bì) — to mask; to screen; to shelter.