Meaning
leave; depart; separate; distinguish; classify; other
Chinese: 分别、另外，也可表示不要。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “bie” becomes a different word in each tone. 别 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
- 别人bié renother people; others; other person
- 别的bié deelse; other
- 特别tè biéunusual; special; very; especially
- 区别qū biédifference; to distinguish; to discriminate; to make a distinction
- 分别fēn biéto part; to leave each other; to distinguish; to tell apart
Example Sentence
上课的时候别说话。Shàng kè de shí hou bié shuō huà.Do not talk during class.
上课Shàng kèto go to class的deof时候shí houtime别biéto leave说话shuō huàto speak。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
另 (separate) plus 刂 (knife): to cut apart — ‘to part, leave; other, another; to distinguish; a category; don't (别去)’ (bié); ‘stubborn, awkward’ (biè).
A way to remember it
bié = to part / other / don't (别走); biè = stubborn (别扭).