How to Write 偏 (piān) — Meaning “slanted; biased; stubbornly”

Picture a person (亻) standing next to a flat wall (扁), but they lean away from it because they are biased or stubborn. This visual of a slanted person helps you recall that 偏 means slanted or biased.

Write the left radical 亻 first (two strokes), then the right part 扁 with 9 strokes. Be careful with 扁: the top is like 户 (door), and the bottom has two vertical lines inside an enclosure — avoid making the right side too wide or the bottom uneven.

偏 has 扁 (flat) on the right, while 侮 has 每 (every, containing 母) and 侯 has a different right component with a long stroke and arrow-like shape. Their meanings are also very different: 偏 is about slanting or bias, 侮 means to insult, and 侯 is a noble title.

偏 appears in common words like 偏心 (partiality, often in family favoritism), 偏见 (prejudice, used in social or personal bias), and 偏偏 (as luck would have it, expressing frustration). For example, parents might be accused of 偏心 if they treat one child better, and 偏偏 is used when things happen against your wishes.

Common words containing 偏 include: 偏心 (piān xīn) — partial; biased; showing favoritism; 偏见 (piān jiàn) — prejudice; bias; 偏偏 (piān piān) — as luck would have it; against expectations.