贬 (biǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “to reduce in value or rank”. It is written from 贝 (shell) and 乏 (lacking; short of), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to devalue”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
贝 + 乏
Left–right structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 字形拆分核验（⿰贝乏，8 笔 = 贝 4 + 乏 4）
Memory aid
Shell-money (贝) that has run short (乏): when the value runs out, the price gets marked down. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 贬低biǎn dīto belittle; to disparage贬 = biǎn
- 贬值biǎn zhíto depreciate; to devalue贬 = biǎn
Go deeper
All readings
to devalue
to reduce in value or rank; to demote; to belittle; to disparage
降低价值或等级；也指对人或事物给出否定的评价。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 贬低biǎn dīto belittle; to disparage贬 = biǎn
- 贬值biǎn zhíto depreciate; to devalue贬 = biǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 贬 mean?
贬 (biǎn) means to reduce in value or rank; to demote; to belittle; to disparage.
How do you pronounce 贬?
It is pronounced biǎn.
What parts is 贬 made of?
贝 (shell) and 乏 (lacking; short of), side by side. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 字形拆分核验（⿰贝乏，8 笔 = 贝 4 + 乏 4）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 贬 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 贬?
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 贬?
Common ones are 贬低 and 贬值. The reading of 贬 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.