边 (biān) is a Chinese character meaning “side”. It is written from 辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 力 (strength; power), one enclosing the other, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “side; edge”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
辶 + 力
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶力，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–1 为「力」（横折钩、撇），笔画 2–4 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺）
Memory aid
The road radical 辶 keeps walking outward until the land runs out, and it takes 力 (strength) to reach that far. Both parts really are in this character: walk + strength = the edge, the far side.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 左边zuǒ biānthe left side; on the left边 = biānspoken aszuǒ bianHSK 1
- 右边yòu biānthe right side; on the right边 = biānspoken asyòu bianHSK 1
- 那边nà biānover there; that side边 = biān
- 旁边páng biānside; beside; nearby边 = biān
- 沾边zhān biānto touch on; to be close to the point边 = biān
- 边界biān jièboundary; border边 = biān
Go deeper
All readings
side; edge
side; edge; border; margin. Also used after a position word to mean "the ... side", as in 左边 (the left side).
物体的边缘、周围部分；国家或地区的界限。也接在方位词后面表示某一侧，如「左边」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 左边zuǒ biānthe left side; on the left边 = biānspoken aszuǒ bianHSK 1
- 右边yòu biānthe right side; on the right边 = biānspoken asyòu bianHSK 1
- 那边nà biānover there; that side边 = biān
- 旁边páng biānside; beside; nearby边 = biān
- 沾边zhān biānto touch on; to be close to the point边 = biān
- 边界biān jièboundary; border边 = biān
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 边 mean?
边 (biān) means side; edge; border; margin. Also used after a position word to mean "the ... side", as in 左边 (the left side)..
How do you pronounce 边?
It is pronounced biān.
What parts is 边 made of?
辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 力 (strength; power), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶力，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–1 为「力」（横折钩、撇），笔画 2–4 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 边 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 边?
辶. 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 边?
Common ones are 左边 and 右边. The reading of 边 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.