杯 (bēi) is a Chinese character meaning “cup”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 不 (not), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “cup”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
木 + 不
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分：IDS ⿰木不，笔画数经 hanzi-writer-data 核验（木 4 + 不 4 = 8）；字书作「从木，不声」
Memory aid
Wood (木) next to 不 "no". A wooden drinking vessel — once it is raised, nobody says 不. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 杯子bēi zicup; glass; mug杯 = bēi
- 干杯gān bēicheers; to drink a toast杯 = bēi
- 玻璃杯bō lí bēiglass (drinking cup)杯 = bēispoken asbō li bēi
Go deeper
All readings
cup
cup; glass; mug; (also) a cup-shaped trophy
盛水或酒的器皿，多为圆柱形；也指杯状的奖品。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 杯子bēi zicup; glass; mug杯 = bēi
- 干杯gān bēicheers; to drink a toast杯 = bēi
- 玻璃杯bō lí bēiglass (drinking cup)杯 = bēispoken asbō li bēi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 杯 mean?
杯 (bēi) means cup; glass; mug; (also) a cup-shaped trophy.
How do you pronounce 杯?
It is pronounced bēi.
What parts is 杯 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 不 (not), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分：IDS ⿰木不，笔画数经 hanzi-writer-data 核验（木 4 + 不 4 = 8）；字书作「从木，不声」. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 杯 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 杯?
木. 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 杯?
Common ones are 杯子 and 干杯. The reading of 杯 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.