How to Write 邳 (pī) — Meaning “Pi (used in place names)”

Think of 邳 as "Pi City" — picture a big sign saying "Pi" with a city symbol (阝) next to it. The right part 丕 looks like a square with a line on top, so imagine a city square named Pi. This ties the sound and meaning together easily.

Write the left radical 阝 first: start with the horizontal curve stroke, then the vertical stroke. For the right part 丕, the correct order is horizontal, left-falling stroke, vertical, dot, then final horizontal. A common mistake is writing the dot before the vertical, so remember dot comes after the vertical line.

邳 (pī) has the right part 丕, which looks like a square with a line on top, while 邗 (hán) has 干 (a dry or shield shape) and 邘 (yú) has 于 (a simple cross with a hook). Visually, 邳 is more complex with extra strokes. In usage, 邳 is for place names in Jiangsu, while 邗 is for a river and 邘 is for a state in ancient China.

Today, 邳 is mainly used in the place name 邳州 (Pizhou), a city in Jiangsu province, and as a rare surname. You might see it in geography texts or travel information about that region. It is not in common daily vocabulary, but it has cultural importance because Pizhou is known for its history along the Grand Canal.

Common words containing 邳 include: 邳州 (pī zhōu) — Pizhou (a city in Jiangsu, China); 邳县 (pī xiàn) — Pi County; 姓邳 (xìng pī) — Surname Pi.