匾 (biǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “a horizontal inscribed board or plaque, usually hung above”. It is written from 匚 (right-open box) and 扁 (flat), one enclosing the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “inscribed board; plaque”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
匚 + 扁
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS (构建期): 匾 ⿷匚扁；已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（匚=第0、10笔，扁=第1–9笔）
Memory aid
A flat (扁) board set inside an open-sided frame (匚) — picture the wide name board hung above a shop door. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 牌匾pái biǎninscribed board; plaque (over a door)匾 = biǎn
- 匾额biǎn éhorizontal inscribed board匾 = biǎn
Go deeper
All readings
inscribed board; plaque
a horizontal inscribed board or plaque, usually hung above a door or in a hall; a round flat bamboo tray
题着字的横牌，多挂在门上方或厅堂里；也指用竹篾编成的圆形浅边器具。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 牌匾pái biǎninscribed board; plaque (over a door)匾 = biǎn
- 匾额biǎn éhorizontal inscribed board匾 = biǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 匾 mean?
匾 (biǎn) means a horizontal inscribed board or plaque, usually hung above a door or in a hall; a round flat bamboo tray.
How do you pronounce 匾?
It is pronounced biǎn.
What parts is 匾 made of?
匚 (right-open box) and 扁 (flat), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS (构建期): 匾 ⿷匚扁；已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（匚=第0、10笔，扁=第1–9笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 匾 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 匾?
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 匾?
Common ones are 牌匾 and 匾额. The reading of 匾 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.