Definitions

biàn surname Bian
biàn hurried

Etymology

About

卞 serves as both an adjective meaning impatient or hasty and as a common Chinese surname. It is typically classified under the radical 卜, which originally refers to divination, though the character itself developed as an ideographic or phonetic formation rather than a direct semantic extension of divination. Historically, it described individuals prone to quick temper or rash action, often acting without sufficient forethought. While this adjectival use is now rare,卞 primarily functions today as a formal family name, preserving the historical lineage of the families who carry it.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern