How to Write 裴 (péi) — Meaning “Pei (a Chinese surname)”

Picture the top part 非 as two rows of windows on a building, and the bottom 衣 as a long coat. Imagine a man named Mr. Pei standing in front of the building wearing that coat. This visual connects the shape to the surname Pei.

Write the top 非 first, with the left side then the right side, each having two horizontal strokes. The bottom 衣 should be wider than the top, and the vertical strokes of 非 should align with the center of the 衣 below. A common mistake is making the top too large or the bottom too narrow.

裴 has 非 above 衣, while 裂 has 列 above 衣 and means "to split" or "to crack." 裁 has the clothing radical on the left side instead of the bottom and means "to cut" or "to tailor." All three share the 衣 radical but differ in their other parts and meanings.

裴 is exclusively used as a Chinese surname, such as in 裴先生 (Mr. Pei) or 裴老师 (Teacher Pei). It is not part of everyday vocabulary and does not appear in the HSK word lists. A famous historical figure is the historian Pei Songzhi, who annotated the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

Common words containing 裴 include: 裴先生 (péi xiān shēng) — Mr. Pei; 姓裴 (xìng péi) — Surname Pei; 裴老师 (péi lǎo shī) — Teacher Pei.