毕 (bì) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

毕

bì[bi4]Tone 4

to finish, complete, whole

HSK 4

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畢

Guru Deep Dive

English · to finish, complete, whole

Cached lesson

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Topology:Top-bottom

Strokes:6

Writing Balance Rule: The upper part should be slightly broader than the lower vertical hook element, keeping the center of gravity stable.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 畢 comes from ancient depictions of a net. The simplified form 毕 streamlines the interior horizontal strokes and simplifies the bottom element.

1. Meaning

to finish, to complete

the whole ofcompletefullfinishedsurname Bi

verb, adjective, adverbNeutral#completion#extent#process

Sample Usage

毕业
bìyè
to graduate
毕生
bìshēng
lifelong, one's whole life

2. Sound

/[pi⁵¹]/Tone: 51

毕

bìbi4

`(51)

=bì

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Bilabial

Sounds like: b as in boy

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. A tissue in front of lips should stay still.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Both lips pressed together lightly and released cleanly.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -i vowel group

Sounds like: ee sound as in see

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ee'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges straight down, similar to saying 'No!' or 'Stop!' in English.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse Tone 4 (bì) with Tone 1 (bī) or Tone 2 (bí). Ensure your voice drops sharply rather than staying flat or rising.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, definitive chop downward like a referee signaling the end of a match.

3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 6 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The upper part should be slightly broader than the lower vertical hook element, keeping the center of gravity stable.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 畢 comes from ancient depictions of a net. The simplified form 毕 streamlines the interior horizontal strokes and simplifies the bottom element.

4. Components

Radical 比 · Comparison radical (compare, match)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 比 (provides phonetic and structural foundation)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 比 (original sound: bi)

Picture a net (田/十 structure on top) gathering everything together until the task is completely finished.

獙 Upper grid element representing a long-handled net
比 Lower phonetic and structural support

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

21· Phonetic Root: 比 (bǐ)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally depicted a long-handled catching net (such as a hunting or fishing net). Over time, the meaning generalized from 'catching all' to 'finishing' or 'completing' a task.

Semantic Evolution: From catching animals in a net (getting everything) to concluding an action, and finally to mean 'whole', 'entire', or 'to graduate'.

The character's evolution reflects moving from concrete hunting tools to abstract completion concepts.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ヒツ (hitsu) / Kun: おわる (owaru)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

畢

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

You catch every single fish in your net (网/田 shape), and once you have them all, your workday is FINISHED (bì).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

哔

bì哔叽 serge (cloth), sound of bleepAdd mouth radical (口) for sounds or specific cloth names.

庳

bìlow wallAdd shelter radical (广) for architectural structures.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

比(bǐ)

比 means to compare and lacks the top grid closure of 毕.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

他打算今年夏天从大学[___]。

Clue: bì yè

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 毕 (bì) with 比 (bǐ) by omitting the top enclosing strokes.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 毕 mean when seen in compound words like 毕业 or 毕生?

Production: How do you write the character for 'finish/complete' with 6 strokes?

毕bìto finish, complete, whole

Speed:

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