Meaning
side; edge; margin; border; boundary
Chinese: 边缘、旁边或边界。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “bian” becomes a different word in each tone. 边 is the 1st 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
- 一边yī biānone side; either side; on the one hand; on the other hand
- 旁边páng biānside; adjacent place
- 那边nà bianover there; yonder
- 这边zhè biānthis side; here
- 右边yòu bianright side; right, to the right
Example Sentence
学校旁边有一家书店。Xué xiào páng biān yǒu yì jiā shū diàn.There is a bookstore next to the school.
学校Xué xiàoschool旁边páng biānside有yǒuto have一家yì jiāthe whole family书店shū diànbookstore。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
The walk radical 辶 (meaning) plus 力 (sound element): the edge you reach by walking out — ‘side / edge / border’. Simplified from 邊.
A way to remember it
Walking (辶) to the edge — the side.
Easy to confuse with
- 过‘To pass’: also the walk radical 辶, with a different inner part.