How to Write 胚 (pēi) — Meaning “Embryo”

Imagine a tiny "embryo" as a small piece of flesh (月) that is "not yet" (丕) fully formed — the right side 丕 looks like 不 (no/not) with a line under it. So think: "This flesh is not yet a baby." This visual helps link the shape to the meaning.

Start with the left radical 月 (4 strokes: left vertical, horizontal hook, two inner horizontals), then write the right side 丕 (5 strokes: 不 then a bottom horizontal). Keep 月 narrow and tall, and make 丕 slightly wider. A common mistake is writing the right side 不 too large or forgetting the bottom horizontal line.

胚 (pēi) means embryo and has the right side 丕 (pī). 朊 (ruǎn) means a type of protein and has the right side 元 (yuán, meaning "origin"). 朋 (péng) means friend and is two 月 radicals side by side. Focus on the right half: 丕 vs 元 vs another 月.

胚 is mainly used in scientific terms like 胚胎 (pēi tāi, embryo) and 胚芽 (pēi yá, seed germ). You will encounter it in biology, medicine, or agriculture contexts. It is not part of everyday conversation, but it is essential for describing early stages of life in plants and animals.

Common words containing 胚 include: 胚胎 (pēi tāi) — Embryo; 胚芽 (pēi yá) — Germ (of a seed); 胚根 (pēi gēn) — Radicle (embryonic root).