偏

piān

亻 + 扁

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

piān (verb) to lean; to slant

piān (adjective) prejudiced; biased

piān (verb) to deviate; to stray from intended course

piān (adjective) contrary to expectations

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 扁 represents the sound.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 扁

About

偏 is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the semantic radical 亻 on the left, representing a person or human action, and the phonetic component 扁 (biǎn) on the right, which gives it its pronunciation. 扁 originally depicted a flat object or a woven bamboo door. In its earliest usage, 偏 described a person leaning to one side or standing off-center rather than standing completely straight. From this physical sense of slanting, the meaning gradually broadened to denote abstract deviation from a norm. Today, it is widely used to signify biased or partial attitudes, or a remote, off-center location.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这条线画偏了。

Zhè tiáo xiàn huà piān le.

This line is drawn crooked.

他偏偏今天不来。

Tā piānpiān jīntiān bù lái.

He偏偏 isn't coming today.

我偏要试试看。

Wǒ piān yào shìshì kàn.

I insist on trying.

这个地方很偏远。

Zhège dìfāng hěn piānyuǎn.

This place is very remote.

他的意见有偏见。

Tā de yìjiàn yǒu piānjiàn.

His opinion has bias.

你为何偏要反对我？

Nǐ wèihé piān yào fǎnduì wǒ?

Why do you insist on opposing me?

尽管下雨，他偏要出门。

Jǐnguǎn xià yǔ, tā piān yào chūmén.

Despite the rain, he insists on going out.

她性格偏强，从不轻易认输。

Tā xìnggé piān qiáng, cóng bù qīngyì rèn shū.

She has a strong personality and never admits defeat easily.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 扁

偏