Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

nose

Chinese: 鼻子。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “bi” becomes a different word in each tone. 鼻 is the 2nd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 鼻子bí zinose
  • 鼻涕bí tìnasal mucus; snivel; snot
  • 鼻头bí tóutip of the nose; (dialect) nose
  • 鼻儿bí reye; a hole in an implement or utensil for insertion
  • 鼻水bí shuǐnasal mucus; snivel

Example Sentence

大象的鼻子又长又有力。Dà xiàng de bí zi yòu cháng yòu yǒu lì.An elephant nose is long and strong.

大象Dà xiàngelephantdeof鼻子bí zinoseyòuagainchánglongyòuagain有力yǒu lìpowerful

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

Built on 自 — which was itself the original picture of a nose — with 畀 (bì) added for the sound. It means ‘nose’.

A way to remember it

The old nose (自) on top, with a sound part below — the nose.

Easy to confuse with

  • ‘Self’: originally the nose pictograph; 鼻 is the newer character built on it.