笔bǐ
Character evolution
笔
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Simplified · Today
繁体
Traditional Chinese
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Shuowen
笔 (bǐ) is formed by 竹 (bamboo) representing the handle and 毛 (hair) representing the bristles, originally meaning a writing brush. The earliest forms appear in bronze inscriptions, but the component 竹 is already found in oracle bone inscriptions as a symbol of bamboo. The character combines the material of the handle and the bristle to depict the tool used for writing, hence the meaning 'pen' or 'brush'.
Pinyin
bǐ· HSK 2