贝

貝
bèi
#1,131 most
frequent character
cowrie, shellfish, currency (archaic)

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

贝 is a drawing of a cowry shell, which was also its first meaning. Since shells served as money in old cultures, the word came to mean shell currency too. 贝 is the simplified form of 貝, taken from a cursive way of writing it.

Drawn as: cowry shell

贝 as a component in other characters

meaning43 characters
资费财负货贵赛购赞贫贴贡贷贺赔赢
sound6 characters
败坝狈赘钡呗
picture16 characters
质责贸赏贯赋贤贾赐贮赎贰赝赍赇屃
empty3 characters
员则贞

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Same Characters, Different Readings

贝Bei4
surname Bei

Homophones

HSK 3
背bèi
the back of a body or object
HSK 4
被bèi
by (indicates passive-voice sentences or clauses)
HSK 5
倍bèi
(two, three etc) -fold
辈bèi
generation, lifetime
备bèi
(bound form) to prepare, to equip

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