How to Write 彬 (bīn) — Meaning “refined; elegant”

Picture a polite tree (木) wearing three elegant stripes (彡) as a suit. The three stripes remind you of the refined and courteous behavior in the word 彬彬有礼.

Write the left radical 木 narrow enough to give space for 彡 on the right. The three strokes of 彡 should not be parallel; the first two are short and slightly angled down, while the third is longer and more vertical.

彬 uses 木 (tree) on the left and 彡 on the right, meaning refined or elegant. 彦 has 产 (produce) on top and 彡 below, meaning a talented or accomplished person. Visually, 彦 has a flat top, while 彬 is symmetrical left–right.

彬 appears in formal or written Chinese, especially in the idiom 彬彬有礼 (refined and courteous) to praise someone's polite manners. It is not common in daily conversation but is valued in classical literature and traditional etiquette descriptions.

Common words containing 彬 include: 彬彬有礼 (bīn bīn yǒu lǐ) — refined and courteous; polite; 文质彬彬 (wén zhì bīn bīn) — Gentle and refined; 彬彬 (bīn bīn) — refined; suave; elegant.