凭 (píng) is a Chinese character meaning “to lean on”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 壬 (ninth heavenly stem) and 几 (small table; how many), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to lean on; to rely on”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
亻 + 壬 + 几
Top–bottom structure
- 亻 person (the form 人 takes on the left) · rén unknown
- 壬 ninth heavenly stem · rén unknown
- 几 small table; how many · jī; jǐ meaning
Structure from: 说文解字·几部：凭，依几也。从几从任（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–6 与 任 逐笔对应，其中 1–2 为 亻、3–6 为 壬；笔画 7–8 为 几）
Memory aid
A person (亻) next to 壬 is sitting above a small table (几). Tired out, they let their weight fall onto the table — 凭 is to lean on something, and so to rely on it.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 凭借píng jièto rely on; by means of凭 = píng
- 文凭wén píngdiploma凭 = píng
Go deeper
All readings
to lean on; to rely on
to lean on; to rely on; to go by, on the basis of; proof, evidence
身体靠着；依靠、根据；也指用作根据的证据。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 凭借píng jièto rely on; by means of凭 = píng
- 文凭wén píngdiploma凭 = píng
Origin
The Shuowen Jiezi explains 凭 as "to lean on a low table", written 从几从任 — with 几, the low table, underneath. From leaning on something physical the word broadened to "rely on" and "go by, on the strength of".
Source: 说文解字·几部：凭，依几也。从几从任
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 凭 mean?
凭 (píng) means to lean on; to rely on; to go by, on the basis of; proof, evidence.
How do you pronounce 凭?
It is pronounced píng.
What parts is 凭 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 壬 (ninth heavenly stem) and 几 (small table; how many), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字·几部：凭，依几也。从几从任（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–6 与 任 逐笔对应，其中 1–2 为 亻、3–6 为 壬；笔画 7–8 为 几）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 凭 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 凭?
几. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 凭?
Common ones are 凭借 and 文凭. The reading of 凭 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.