How to Write 汴 (biàn) — Meaning “Bian (ancient name for Kaifeng or a river)”

Imagine a person (represented by 卞) standing in a river (the three-dot radical 氵). This person is named Bian, and he is in the Bian River. Alternatively, think of the right side 卞 as a hat floating on water, helping you recall the water-related meaning.

Write the left radical 氵 first: three dots in a vertical line (dot, dot, short vertical stroke). Then write the right part 卞: horizontal stroke, vertical stroke, and a final dot at the lower right. Keep the left radical narrow (about one-third of the width) so that the right side dominates. A common mistake is making the horizontal stroke of 卞 too long, which unbalances the character.

汴 (biàn) has the right component 卞, while 㳄 (xián) has 欠 (indicating saliva or yawn) and 氿 (guǐ) has 九 (meaning nine). Visually, 卞 has a horizontal line across the top, a vertical line, and a dot; 欠 looks like a person leaning forward; and 九 is a curved stroke with a hook. In meaning, 汴 is a place/river name, 㳄 relates to saliva, and 氿 means a spring or water source.

Today, 汴 is almost exclusively used in historical or geographical contexts, such as referencing the ancient city 汴京 (Bianjing, now Kaifeng) or the 汴河 (Bian River). It appears in classical literature, history textbooks, and discussions about the Northern Song dynasty. In everyday modern Chinese, it is rarely used, making it a specialized character for historical study.

Common words containing 汴 include: 汴京 (biàn jīng) — Bianjing (ancient name for Kaifeng); 汴河 (biàn hé) — Bian River; 汴水 (biàn shuǐ) — Bian River.