How to Write 鬓 (bìn) — Meaning “sideburns; hair on the temples”

Imagine that your sideburns (鬓) are like "bin" (宾) – they are "guests" at the sides of your head, and the top 髟 reminds you that these guests are made of hair. So, think of "hair guests" on your temples.

The top radical 髟 has three long, slanted strokes (like hairs) that should be written evenly spaced, followed by a horizontal stroke underneath. A common mistake is confusing the bottom part 宾 with 兵; remember that 宾 starts with a dot above the roof (宀), not a horizontal line.

鬓 (bìn) means hair on the temples or sideburns, while 鬃 (zōng) means a horse's mane or bristles, and 鬄 (tì) means to shave off hair. Visually, the bottom parts differ: 宾 for 鬓, 宗 for 鬃, and 易 for 鬄.

鬓 is used in formal or written Chinese to describe the hair at the temples, often in phrases like 两鬓斑白 (liǎng bìn bān bái) meaning "graying temples" as a sign of aging. It appears frequently in classical literature and poetry to evoke a sense of passing time or melancholy.

Common words containing 鬓 include: 鬓角 (bìn jiǎo) — sideburns; 鬓发 (bìn fà) — hair on the temples; 两鬓 (liǎng bìn) — Temples (hair on the sides of the head).