瓶 (píng) is a Chinese character meaning “bottle”. It is written from 并 (to combine; side by side) and 瓦 (roof tile; earthenware), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “bottle”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
并 + 瓦
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿰并瓦；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验：全字 10 笔，第 1–6 笔属 并，第 7–10 笔属 瓦；说文解字：缾，瓮也。从缶并声。瓶，缾或从瓦
Memory aid
Set pieces of fired clay (瓦) side by side (并) on the kiln shelf — each one comes out as a bottle.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 瓶子píng zǐbottle瓶 = píngspoken aspíng zi
- 花瓶huā píngvase; (fig.) someone valued only for looks瓶 = píng
Go deeper
All readings
bottle
bottle; vase; jar; (measure word for bottled things)
口小腹大的容器，多用陶瓷或玻璃制成；也作量词。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 瓶子píng zǐbottle瓶 = píngspoken aspíng zi
- 花瓶huā píngvase; (fig.) someone valued only for looks瓶 = píng
Sound component
并 family
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 瓶 mean?
瓶 (píng) means bottle; vase; jar; (measure word for bottled things).
How do you pronounce 瓶?
It is pronounced píng.
What parts is 瓶 made of?
并 (to combine; side by side) and 瓦 (roof tile; earthenware), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿰并瓦；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验：全字 10 笔，第 1–6 笔属 并，第 7–10 笔属 瓦；说文解字：缾，瓮也。从缶并声。瓶，缾或从瓦. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 瓶 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 瓶?
瓦. 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 瓶?
Common ones are 瓶子 and 花瓶. The reading of 瓶 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.