How to Write 劈 (pī/pǐ) — Meaning “split or chop”

Imagine a big knife (刀) coming down on a 'slice' of something — the top part 辟 looks like a hand opening a door. Picture the knife splitting that door right in half, and you'll remember that 劈 means 'split or chop'.

Pay attention to the top part 辟: it has 13 strokes and is slightly narrower than the bottom 刀. The knife radical should be written with a curved slash ending in a sharp hook, and the overall character is balanced with the top slightly larger than the bottom.

劈开 (pī kāi) means 'to split open', used for physically cutting something like wood. 劈头盖脸 (pī tóu gài liǎn) describes a barrage of words or attacks coming directly at someone, like 'right in the face'. 劈叉 (pǐ chà) refers to doing the splits in gymnastics.

劈 is commonly used for physical actions like chopping wood or splitting objects. It also appears in idioms describing sudden or forceful actions, such as 劈头盖脸 for a harsh scolding. In martial arts or sports, 劈叉 describes the splits, showing the character's range from literal cutting to figurative dividing.

Common words containing 劈 include: 劈开 (pī kāi) — split open; 劈头盖脸 (pī tóu gài liǎn) — Right in the face; a barrage of...; 劈叉 (pǐ chà) — To do the splits.