How to Write 颦 (pín) — Meaning “To frown”

Think of "pín" as sounding like "pinch" — you pinch your eyebrows together to frown. Then imagine you take a step (步) and frequently (频) pinch your face in frustration. This links the sound, the shape, and the meaning together.

The top part 步 must be written with the correct order: first 止 (four strokes), then 少 (three strokes) but without the hook. The bottom part 频 has a left side that is also 步, but narrower, and a right side 页 (six strokes). A common mistake is making the top half too large, so keep the overall character balanced vertically.

The phrase 一颦一笑 (yī pín yī xiào) means 'every frown and every smile' and describes all of a person's facial expressions. 颦蹙 (pín cù) means 'to frown' or 'to knit one's brows' and is used in literary writing. 效颦 (xiào pín) comes from the idiom 东施效颦, meaning 'to mimic poorly' or 'blind imitation'.

颦 is a classical, literary character rarely used in everyday conversation. It appears mostly in poetry, historical texts, or fixed idioms like 东施效颦. In modern writing, you might see it to describe a refined or exaggerated frown, but it is not a common word for beginners.

Common words containing 颦 include: 一颦一笑 (yī pín yī xiào) — every frown and every smile; every facial expression; 颦蹙 (pín cù) — To frown; to knit one's brows; 效颦 (xiào pín) — To mimic poorly; blind imitation.