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蘋 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蘋píngapple; duckweed, Artemisiazg, 20 strokes, radical 艹
píng(ping2) T2
  1. 1apple; duckweed, Artemisia
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蘋píng(ping2)

The character 蘋 (píng) primarily means 'apple' and can also refer to 'duckweed' or the plant Artemisia. In everyday usage, it is most commonly associated with the fruit, which is a staple in many diets and a symbol of health in Chinese culture.

Strokes20Radical艹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, apples symbolize peace and safety, often given as gifts during festivals and significant occasions. This makes 蘋 an important character in contexts celebrating harmony and good fortune.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'ping' sound as you bite into a crisp apple, with the character 蘋 resembling an apple tree with leaves (the radical 艹) growing above it. Picture the apple falling and splashing into a pond of duckweed, linking the sound 'píng' with both meanings.

Meanings of 蘋

píng(ping2)
1apple; duckweed, Artemisia
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蘋

蘋Simplified
20Strokes
艹Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蘋

JasonAmy

Podcast: 蘋

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 蘋

Usage Notes

Be careful to use 蘋 specifically in contexts related to apples, as it is less commonly used than the more general term 苹果 (píngguǒ) for apple. Avoid confusing it with other similar-sounding words, and remember that it is more formal and less frequently used in casual conversations.

HSK Study Tips

Although 蘋 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to the HSK 1 word 苹果 (píngguǒ). Students should focus on pronunciation and writing the character, as it builds on the understanding of food-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蘋 with 苹果 (píngguǒ) when talking about apples in casual settings, leading to awkward phrasing. Instead, use 苹果 for everyday contexts and reserve 蘋 for more formal or literary references.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蘋

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Etymology of 蘋

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 平 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蘋.

Memory Hint

plant

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)頻
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蘋

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 平 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蘋.

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half頻 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayplant
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 蘋? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蘋?

Decomposition of 蘋

IDS Structure⿱艹頻
蘋Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
頻pin2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蘋?

How to say apple; duckweed, Artemisia in Chinese

“apple; duckweed, Artemisia” in Chinese is蘋píng

The character 蘋 (píng) primarily means 'apple' and can also refer to 'duckweed' or the plant Artemisia. In everyday usage, it is most commonly associated with the fruit, which is a staple in many diets and a symbol of health in Chinese culture.

When to use 蘋

Be careful to use 蘋 specifically in contexts related to apples, as it is less commonly used than the more general term 苹果 (píngguǒ) for apple. Avoid confusing it with other similar-sounding words, and remember that it is more formal and less frequently used in casual conversations.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蘋 with 苹果 (píngguǒ) when talking about apples in casual settings, leading to awkward phrasing. Instead, use 苹果 for everyday contexts and reserve 蘋 for more formal or literary references.

Write 蘋

蘋

Practice writing 蘋 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 蘋

Words Containing This Character4
苹果píngguǒapple蘋果
苹pínduckweed
苹果酱apple sauce蘋果醬
苹果蠹蛾codling moth蘋果蠹蛾
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 苹果 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蘋

蘋 (píng) refers specifically to the apple fruit, while 苹果 (píngguǒ) is the common term for apple, often used in everyday conversation.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 蘋?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.