Definitions

péi surname Pei
péi (of a garment) long and flowing
péi variant of 裴[péi]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "裴" is etymologically constructed as a pictophonetic compound, integrating the semantic radical "衣" for clothing with the phonetic component "非" to indicate its pronunciation, originally referring to long and fluttering robes in early Chinese literature. Its structural arrangement, with "非" positioned above "衣", has remained unchanged, reflecting a consistent design where the upper element cues sound while the lower radical ties the character to concepts of attire. The semantic scope of "裴" gradually extended from denoting specific garments to describing slow, hesitant movement, as seen in the archaic term "裴回", a variant synonymous with pacing or wavering. This conceptual expansion allowed the character to be appropriated as a surname, a role it maintains today, thus preserving its original form while accumulating layered meanings across historical contexts.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Wu (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

先生是中国人。

Péi xiānsheng shì Zhōngguó rén.

Mr. Pei is Chinese.

小华喜欢看书。

Péi Xiǎohuá xǐhuan kànshū.

Pei Xiaohua likes to read books.

经理今天很忙。

Péi jīnglǐ jīntiān hěn máng.

Manager Pei is very busy today.

阿姨做了好吃的菜。

Péi āyí zuò le hǎochī de cài.

Auntie Pei made delicious food.

教授在大学教书。

Péi jiàoshòu zài dàxué jiāoshū.

Professor Pei teaches at a university.

工程师设计了一座新桥。

Péi gōngchéngshī shèjì le yí zuò xīn qiáo.

Engineer Pei designed a new bridge.

医生治好了我的感冒。

Péi yīshēng zhìhǎo le wǒ de gǎnmào.

Doctor Pei cured my cold.

画家在展览上展示了他的新作品。

Péi huàjiā zài zhǎnlǎn shàng zhǎnshì le tā de xīn zuòpǐn.

Painter Pei displayed his new work at the exhibition.