TongTong
Sign in

敝 (bì) — (humble attributive) my; our (used before nouns to refer to one's own belongings, company, or surname); shabby; ragged; worn-out

Definition

敝 is a literary/self-deprecating prefix meaning 'my' or 'our' (敝公司, 敝姓), and also means literally 'shabby, worn-out' as in 敝衣. Both senses belong to formal writing — the humble sense is paired with 贵 on the listener's side.

adjective
(humble attributive) myour (used before nouns to refer to one's own belongings, company, or surname)shabbyraggedworn-out

Examples

  • 敝。
    bì Gōng sī zuì jìn tuī chū le yì kuǎn xīn chǎn pǐn.
    Our company recently launched a new product.
  • 敝。
    Tā chuān zhuó yí jiàn bì yī.
    He is wearing a shabby coat.
  • 敝，？
    bì Xìng lǐ, qǐng wèn nín guì xìng?
    My humble surname is Li, may I ask your noble surname?

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 巾巾jīncloth
  • 攴攴pūhand holding a wooden stick

敝 shows 攴, a hand with a stick, hitting 巾, a piece of cloth. Dots around the cloth may show dust or broken pieces.

Appears in
Greetings & Politeness

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.