匹 (pǐ) is a Chinese character meaning “to match, to be equal to”. It is written from 匚 (right-open box) and 儿 (child; legs), one enclosing the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “match; measure word for horses”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
匚 + 儿
Enclosing structure
Structure from: Unicode U+5339; 现代字形拆分，依据 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 的四笔几何核验（横 + 撇 + 竖弯钩 + 竖折，外框两笔合为 匚，内部两笔合为 儿）
Memory aid
An open-sided box (匚) with a pair of legs (儿) standing inside it — one stall, one horse: 匹 is how you count horses, and how two things get paired up.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 匹配pǐ pèito match; to pair up匹 = pǐ
- 马匹mǎ pǐhorses (collective term)匹 = pǐspoken asmá pǐ
Go deeper
All readings
match; measure word for horses
to match, to be equal to; measure word for horses and for bolts of cloth
相配、相当；也作量词，用于马和布帛。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 匹配pǐ pèito match; to pair up匹 = pǐ
- 马匹mǎ pǐhorses (collective term)匹 = pǐspoken asmá pǐ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 匹 mean?
匹 (pǐ) means to match, to be equal to; measure word for horses and for bolts of cloth.
How do you pronounce 匹?
It is pronounced pǐ.
What parts is 匹 made of?
匚 (right-open box) and 儿 (child; legs), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: Unicode U+5339; 现代字形拆分，依据 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 的四笔几何核验（横 + 撇 + 竖弯钩 + 竖折，外框两笔合为 匚，内部两笔合为 儿）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 匹 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 匹?
匚. 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 匹?
Common ones are 匹配 and 马匹. The reading of 匹 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.