How to Write 拼 (pīn) — Meaning “to piece together; to spell; to risk”

Imagine your hand (扌) holding two puzzle pieces and pushing them together side by side — the right side 并 visually suggests two pieces aligned next to each other. This image links directly to the meaning 'to piece together'. For 'spell', think of your hand arranging letter tiles to form a word.

The left radical 扌 should be narrow, taking about one-third of the width, and its final stroke (提) angles upward. The right side 并 has two dots on top before the horizontal line; a common error is writing the dots after the horizontal. Also, the lower part of 并 has two vertical strokes that should be balanced and not too wide.

扭 (niǔ, 'to twist') also uses 扌, but its right side is 丑 (ugly/twisted), so it focuses on twisting motions. 拼 uses 并 (combine), so it is about assembling or joining. 㧜 is a rare variant with different usage; in modern Chinese, 拼 is far more common. Visually, 拼 has two dots at top of the right part, while 扭 has a distinct 丑 shape.

拼 appears in the essential word 拼音 (pīnyīn), the official romanization system for Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. It is also used in 拼图 (jigsaw puzzle) and 拼命 (to risk one's life or to do one's utmost). In daily conversation, you might hear '拼一下' meaning 'give it your best effort'.

Common words containing 拼 include: 拼音 (pīn yīn) — Pinyin (phonetic system); 拼图 (pīn tú) — jigsaw puzzle; 拼命 (pīn mìng) — to risk one's life; to do one's utmost.