HanziGuru.频 · pín
频
pín[pin2]Tone 2

frequency

HSK 5
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頻
Guru Deep Dive

English · frequency

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:13
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (步) compact and slightly higher, while the right component (頁) spreads out and anchors the bottom right, ensuring the character does not lean too far to either side.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 頻 uses the complex component 頁 (page/head) on the right, which remains standard or simplified depending on regional standardizations, but here reflects the standard modern simplified form 频 with a simplified right side (页).
1. Meaning

frequency

frequentlyrepetitiousoften
noun / adverbNeutral#time#repetition#measurement
Sample Usage
  • 频率
    pínlǜ
    frequency
  • 频繁
    pínfán
    frequent; often
2. Sound
/[pʰin³⁵]/Tone: 35
频
pínpin2
++
´(35)
=pín
Initial Consonant
p
Type: Aspirated Bilabial
Sounds like: p sound in 'pat'
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Strong puff of air! A tissue held before lips MUST fly forward.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Lips pressed together firmly, then released with a sudden burst of air.
Final Rhyme
in
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: -in rhymes with 'in'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'een'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises like asking 'What?' in English disbelief (e.g., 'Pin?').
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2 syllable, the tone shifts to a higher rising contour (around 35), though standard rules apply for Tone 3 sandhi if it shifts.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing it with pin (first tone, flat) or pin (fourth tone, falling). Make sure to start low-middle and sweep your voice up sharply.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Make a sweeping upward hand gesture from your chest up to your ear, mimicking an elevator rising or a rising question mark in speech.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 13 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (步) compact and slightly higher, while the right component (頁) spreads out and anchors the bottom right, ensuring the character does not lean too far to either side.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 頻 uses the complex component 頁 (page/head) on the right, which remains standard or simplified depending on regional standardizations, but here reflects the standard modern simplified form 频 with a simplified right side (页).

4. Components

Radical 页 · Page / Head Radical (page, leaf, head)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 页 (Relates to head, face, or continuous running surface.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 步 (original sound: bù / pín phonetic stream)

A person taking steps (步) over and over, turning their head (页) repeatedly to look back, representing frequency and repetition.

  • 步 Steps or walking
  • 页 Head or page
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined elements representing walking or pacing back and forth with a head component, symbolizing repetitive actions and frequent occurrences.

Semantic Evolution: From the physical idea of pacing back and forth or turning the head repeatedly, it broadened to mean frequency, recurrence, and repetitious actions in modern Chinese.

  • The component 頁 (head) frequently appears in Chinese characters dealing with facial features, mental states, or measurement extremities.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
tần
Mandarin rising tone (35) corresponds roughly to Vietnamese hỏi/ngã or smooth rising tones depending on historical classification.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ヒン (hin) / Kun: ししきり (shishikiri) / しきりに (shikirini)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
빈
Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 'p' matches the historical Sino-Xenic initial consonant readings across Japanese (hin) and Korean (bin).
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine walking step by step (步) turning your head (页) over and over again with high **frequency**, checking your watch every second.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
频
pínfrequencyBase character for frequency.
濒
bīnverge onAdded water radical (氵) on the left for 'verge of water'.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
品(pǐn)
品 consists of three stacked 口 (mouths) representing products or tasting, whereas 频 has 步 and 页.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这台收音机的波段[___]很高。
Clue: pín lǜ
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the left side component with other foot-related radicals or misplacing the strokes of the right-hand 页 component.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 频 mean and how is it pronounced with tones?
Production: How do you write the character for frequency (pín) using its foot and head components?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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