闭 (bì) is a Chinese character meaning “to close”. It is written from 门 (door; gate) and 才 (talent; ability), one enclosing the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to close”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
门 + 才
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿵门才；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验：闭 共 6 笔，第 1–3 笔属 门，第 4–6 笔属 才
Memory aid
Talent (才) locked away behind the gate (门): nobody gets in, nobody gets out. The gate is closed.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 关闭guān bìto close; to shut down闭 = bì
- 闭嘴bì zuǐto shut up; to stop talking闭 = bì
- 倒闭dǎo bìto go bankrupt; to close down (of a business)闭 = bì
Go deeper
All readings
to close
to close; to shut; to stop up; to obstruct
把开着的东西合上；也指停止、堵住不通。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 关闭guān bìto close; to shut down闭 = bì
- 闭嘴bì zuǐto shut up; to stop talking闭 = bì
- 倒闭dǎo bìto go bankrupt; to close down (of a business)闭 = bì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 闭 mean?
闭 (bì) means to close; to shut; to stop up; to obstruct.
How do you pronounce 闭?
It is pronounced bì.
What parts is 闭 made of?
门 (door; gate) and 才 (talent; ability), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿵门才；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验：闭 共 6 笔，第 1–3 笔属 门，第 4–6 笔属 才. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 闭 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 闭?
门. 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 闭?
Common ones are 关闭 and 闭嘴. The reading of 闭 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.