弊 bì — abuse, defect · English

弊

bì

abuse, defect

At a glance · 弊

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

小篆从廾敝声，形声字，本指仆倒、困顿（通「毙」），后指弊害。隶楷作「弊」。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

「弊」本指败坏，引申为害处、欺诈。

Structure

形声字，廾（或攵）为意符，敝为声符。

At a glance

Pinyinbì

Radical廾

Strokes14

UnicodeU+5F0A

Character type形声

Theme德行

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English abuse, defect An abuse, defect, or fraud.

Français abus, défaut Un abus, défaut ou fraude.

Español abuso, defecto Un abuso, defecto o fraude.

العربية عيب، غش عيب أو ضرر أو غش.

Русский злоупотребление, недостаток Злоупотребление, недостаток или обман.

Common words

弊病bì bìngmalady
弊bìdisadvantage

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