How to Write 屁 (pì) — Meaning “fart; nonsense”

Imagine a person (尸) sitting and comparing (比) two bad smells — that's a fart! The image of a body comparing odors helps link the parts to the meaning of 'fart' or 'nonsense'.

The top part 尸 must be wide enough to cover the 比 below. The left stroke of 尸 comes down before the horizontal, and the 比 component should sit neatly under it — avoid making the 比 too big or separated.

屁 means 'fart' or 'nonsense', while 尻 (kāo) specifically means 'tailbone' or 'buttocks' and is rarely used. 尼 (ní) means 'nun' and has a different bottom part (匕 instead of 比) — 屁 has 比 (compare), 尼 has 匕 (spoon).

屁 appears in common words like 放屁 (to fart; also 'nonsense!' as an exclamation) and 屁股 (buttocks). It is informal and can be rude — saying 放屁 to someone's idea is like saying 'bullshit!' in English, so use it cautiously.

Common words containing 屁 include: 放屁 (fàng pì) — to fart; nonsense; 屁股 (pì gǔ) — buttocks; bottom; 拍马屁 (pāi mǎ pì) — To flatter / To suck up.