Writing Balance Rule: The left component (彳) should be slightly narrower and taller, while the right component (皮) provides the sturdy outer anchor with its sweeping diagonal stroke.
1. Meaning
that, those
(one) anotherhe, she, they (literary pronoun)
PronounFormal / Literary (common in modern compounds like 彼此)#pronouns#demonstratives#literary
Sample Usage
彼此彼此
bǐ cǐ bǐ cǐ
Same here / Mutual / You too
知己知彼
zhī jǐ zhī bǐ
Know the enemy and know yourself (idiom)
2. Sound
/[pi²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
彼
bǐbi3
|
++
ˇ(214)
=bǐ
Initial Consonant
b
Type: Unaspirated Bilabial
Sounds like: English b sound as in 'bee'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. A tissue in front of lips should stay still.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Both lips closed firmly together before releasing.
Final Rhyme
i
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: rhymes with 'ee' in bee
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ee'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
2 → 1 → 4 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips low and rises, similar to expressing disbelief or asking 'Really?' in English with a dipping intonation.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, bǐ shifts to a 2nd tone (rising 35), becoming bí.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing it with bī (first tone) or pí (second tone). Listen carefully for the dipping contour of Tone 3 rather than a flat or rising pitch.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: dip down from chest level to your lowest point, then sweep back up high to signal Tone 3.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (彳) should be slightly narrower and taller, while the right component (皮) provides the sturdy outer anchor with its sweeping diagonal stroke.
4. Components
Radical彳 · Stepping stone / Step radical (Movement, footsteps, walking)
Semantic Clue (形旁):彳 (Indicates movement or pointing toward a distant direction.)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):皮 (original sound: pí)
You take a step forward (彳) to point at the skin or outer surface (皮) of something over there.
彳 step / movement
皮 skin / leather (providing the sound 'pí')
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
15· Phonetic Root: 皮 (pí)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Originally combined the footstep radical (彳) indicating motion away from the speaker, paired with (皮) to phoneticize the sound, signifying that which is distant or 'that'.
Semantic Evolution: Shifted from physical distance ('that place over there') to a general demonstrative ('that') and personal pronoun ('he/she/they').
Frequently used in classical Chinese literature to refer to the third person.
Forms the cornerstone of modern reciprocal pronouns like 彼此 (each other).
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
bỉ
Corresponds to the Vietnamese hỏi tone or lower dipping register.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ヒ / Kun: kare
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
피
Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 'b' corresponds to the historical 'p/b' initial shift across East Asian literary readings.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
You take a step forward (彳) and point your finger at *that* person's leather jacket (皮) over there.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
披
pīto drape / to wrap aroundAdd the hand radical (扌) to mean wrapping something around your shoulders.
坡
pōslope / hillAdd the earth radical (土) to represent a slope of land.
疲
pífatigued / tiredAdd the illness radical (疒) to represent being worn out to the skin.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
被(bèi)
被 has the clothing/garment radical (衤) for passive voice or blankets, whereas 彼 has the stepping radical (彳) for 'that/those'.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我们应该取长补短，向[___]学习。
Clue: bǐ cǐ
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing 彼 (bǐ - that) with 被 (bèi - passive marker/quilt), especially due to their similar phonetic components and close appearance.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 彼 mean when you see it in literary texts or modern words like 彼此?
Production: How do you write the pronoun for 'that' or 'those' using the step radical and skin component?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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彼bǐthat, those, (one) another
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