贝 (bèi) is a Chinese character meaning “shell”. It is written from 冂 (down box) and 人 (person), one enclosing the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “shell”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
冂 + 人
Enclosing structure
Structure from: Unicode U+8D1D 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形笔画核验：第 1–2 笔构成 冂，第 3–4 笔构成 人
Memory aid
An open box 冂 with a person 人 tucked under it — someone keeping a shell safe. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 贝壳bèi késeashell贝 = bèi
- 宝贝bǎo bèitreasure; darling贝 = bèi
- 拷贝kǎo bèicopy; to copy (a file, a film print)贝 = bèi
Go deeper
All readings
shell
shell; cowrie; shellfish
有硬壳的软体动物，也指它们的壳。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 贝壳bèi késeashell贝 = bèi
- 宝贝bǎo bèitreasure; darling贝 = bèi
- 拷贝kǎo bèicopy; to copy (a file, a film print)贝 = bèi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 贝 mean?
贝 (bèi) means shell; cowrie; shellfish.
How do you pronounce 贝?
It is pronounced bèi.
What parts is 贝 made of?
冂 (down box) and 人 (person), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: Unicode U+8D1D 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形笔画核验：第 1–2 笔构成 冂，第 3–4 笔构成 人. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 贝 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 贝?
贝. 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 贝?
Common ones are 贝壳 and 宝贝. The reading of 贝 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.