How to Write 嫔 (pín) — Meaning “Imperial concubine.”

Imagine a woman (女) who is a 'guest' (宾) in the emperor's palace — she is an imperial concubine. The phrase 'a female guest at court' can help you link the components to the meaning.

The left radical 女 must be written with its third stroke (the horizontal) tilting upward and not crossing the right side. The right part 宾 has a roof (宀) over 兵; make sure the bottom of 兵 has two small strokes inside, not a single vertical line.

嫔 means 'imperial concubine' and specifically refers to a ranked palace woman. 娶 (qǔ) means 'to marry a wife' and uses the radical 女 with 取 (take). 娼 (chāng) means 'prostitute' and uses the radical 女 with 昌 (prosperous) — these words have very different social contexts and usage.

嫔 is rarely used in daily conversation today; it mainly appears in historical dramas, novels, or texts about imperial court life. You might see it in titles like 嫔妃 (pín fēi, imperial concubines) when discussing ancient Chinese palace hierarchies.

Common words containing 嫔 include: 嫔妃 (pín fēi) — Imperial concubines.; 淑嫔 (shū pín) — Concubine Shu (an imperial title); 嫔御 (pín yù) — Imperial concubines and attendants..