How to Write 陪 (péi) — Meaning “to accompany”

Imagine a friend standing (立) next to you, with their mouth (口) open to talk, while the left side 阝 looks like a person leaning in to listen. This image of a friend staying near and chatting helps you remember 陪 means 'to accompany'.

Write the left radical 阝 first with two strokes: a curved stroke then a vertical line, keeping it narrow. Then write the right side: start with 立 (five strokes) centered above 口 (three strokes). A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or misaligning 立 and 口.

The key difference is the position of the 阝 radical: in 陪 it is on the left, while in 邾 and 郁 it is on the right. 陪 means 'to accompany', 邾 is a rare surname, and 郁 means 'gloomy' or 'lush' — they have completely different meanings and usages.

陪 is commonly used in daily conversation to ask someone to stay with you, like 陪我 (accompany me) or 陪伴 (keep company). Culturally, offering to accompany elders or friends shows care and respect, and it is polite to use 陪 in invitations such as 你能陪我一下吗? (Can you stay with me for a while?).

Common words containing 陪 include: 陪我 (péi wǒ) — accompany me or stay with me; 陪伴 (péi bàn) — to accompany or keep company; 陪同 (péi tóng) — to accompany or escort.