备 (bèi) — to prepare; to equip; (literary) fully; completely
Definition
备 (bèi) is a literary/verb 'to prepare or equip', seen in set words like 装备, 筹备, 预备, 配备 rather than standing alone. The adverb sense 'fully/completely' is also literary — more emphatic than 满.
to prepareto equip(literary) fullycompletely
Easily confused
- 各gèlook-alike(determiner) each, every (used before a noun to refer to every individual member of a group)
- 被bèisound-alike(preposition) used to mark passive voice, placed before the doer (or directly before the verb if the doer is omitted)
- 条tiáolook-alike(classifier) used for long, thin objects (rivers, roads, trousers, fish, etc.)
- 背bèisound-aliketo memorize, to recite from memory
- 背bèisound-alike(noun) back (of the body)
- 倍bèisound-alike(classifier) times, -fold (indicates multiplier after a number)
Examples
- 备。Wǒ men xū yào bèi hǎo suǒ yǒu de cái liào.We need to prepare all the materials.
- ，。Tā bèi shòu zhé mó, què cóng wèi fàng qì.She fully endured torment, yet never gave up.
- 备。Kǎo shì qián yào bèi hǎo yí qiè.Before the exam, prepare everything.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 備; 备 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 備 shows a person carrying a quiver, matching the meaning 'ready; prepared'; the simplified 备 is a later abbreviation.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.