How to write 比 (bǐ, “to compare”)
比 (bǐ), an HSK 2 character, means “to compare”, “more adj. than noun” and “ratio”. It is HSK 2 in the 2025 syllabus, up from level 1 in the 2021 standard. Make Me a Hanzi uses it in 28 other characters, such as 㲋 (“ancient name”), 仳 (“to part”) and 吡 (“used as phonetic bi- or pi-”). On its own it is an HSK 2 word; it also forms 比如 (“for example”), 比赛 (“competition”) and 比较 (“to compare”). Japanese reads it hi, “compare”, as a JLPT N2 kanji.
- Pinyin
- bǐ
- Strokes
- 4
- HSK
- 2
- Radical
- 比 (“to compare”)
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
As a left-right character it splits into 匕 (“spoon”), strokes 1–2; 匕 (“spoon”), strokes 3–4, written the left part first.
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical-rising ㇙top leftdownwards → up and right
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdownwards → down and left
- Vertical-curve-hook ㇟topdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 4 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
比 inside other characters
Make Me a Hanzi count: 28 characters.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| bǐ third tone | to compare; (followed by a noun and adjective) more adj. than noun; ratio; to gesture; Belgium | — | 比如 比赛 比较 相比 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 2
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 2 word
- Words with it
- 155 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 比
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 比 | bǐ | to compare; (followed by a noun and adjective) more adj. than noun HSK 2 |
| 比如 | bǐrú | for example; for instance HSK 3 |
| 比赛 比賽 | bǐsài | competition (sports etc); match HSK 3 |
| 比较 比較 | bǐjiào | to compare; to contrast HSK 3 |
| 相比 | xiāngbǐ | to compare HSK 4 |
| 对比 對比 | duìbǐ | to contrast; contrast HSK 5 |
| 比分 | bǐfēn | score HSK 5 |
| 比例 | bǐlì | proportion; scale HSK 5 |
| 比喻 | bǐyù | to compare; to liken to HSK 5 |
| 比方 | bǐfang | analogy; illustrative example HSK 6 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.
Keep going
HSK 2, in list order: