彼 (bǐ) is a Chinese character meaning “that”. It is written from 彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 皮 (skin; hide; leather), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “that; the other one”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
彳 + 皮
Left–right structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形拆分：彳3 画 + 皮5 画 = 8 画）
Memory aid
彳 on the left is the step radical — two short strides away from you. 皮 on the right is skin, a hide. Walk a few steps over and the skin you touch is someone else's: 彼, that one over there.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 彼此bǐ cǐeach other; one another; both sides彼 = bǐspoken asbí cǐ
- 彼岸bǐ ànthe other shore; the far bank彼 = bǐ
Go deeper
All readings
that; the other one
that; that one; the other side; the other party (opposite of 此, "this")
那个；那一方；对方。与「此」相对。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 彼此bǐ cǐeach other; one another; both sides彼 = bǐspoken asbí cǐ
- 彼岸bǐ ànthe other shore; the far bank彼 = bǐ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 彼 mean?
彼 (bǐ) means that; that one; the other side; the other party (opposite of 此, "this").
How do you pronounce 彼?
It is pronounced bǐ.
What parts is 彼 made of?
彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 皮 (skin; hide; leather), side by side. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形拆分：彳3 画 + 皮5 画 = 8 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 彼 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 彼?
彳. 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 彼?
Common ones are 彼此 and 彼岸. The reading of 彼 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.