庇 (bì) is a Chinese character meaning “to shelter”. It is written from 广 (wide; dotted cliff radical) and 比 (to compare; two figures side by side), one enclosing the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to shelter”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
广 + 比
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 说文解字：庇，蔭也。从广比聲（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-2 广 / 3-6 比）
Memory aid
A wide roof (广) is pulled over two figures standing side by side (比) — the roof takes them both in. That is 庇: to shelter someone.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 庇护bì hùto shelter; to give asylum to庇 = bì
- 包庇bāo bìto shield (a wrongdoer); to cover up for庇 = bì
Go deeper
All readings
to shelter
to shelter; to shield; to protect; to harbor (a wrongdoer)
遮蔽、保护；也指袒护包庇。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 庇护bì hùto shelter; to give asylum to庇 = bì
- 包庇bāo bìto shield (a wrongdoer); to cover up for庇 = bì
Sound component
比 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 庇 mean?
庇 (bì) means to shelter; to shield; to protect; to harbor (a wrongdoer).
How do you pronounce 庇?
It is pronounced bì.
What parts is 庇 made of?
广 (wide; dotted cliff radical) and 比 (to compare; two figures side by side), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：庇，蔭也。从广比聲（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-2 广 / 3-6 比）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 庇 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 庇?
广. 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 庇?
Common ones are 庇护 and 包庇. The reading of 庇 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.