Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
贬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
贬biǎnto diminishHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #23753, Hard
贬biǎnto demoteHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #23753, Hard
贬biǎnto reduce or devaluateHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #23753, Hard
贬biǎnto disparageHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #23753, Hard
贬biǎnto censureHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #23753, Hard
贬biǎnto depreciateHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #23753, Hard
贬biǎnto devalue, to demote; to criticize, to censureHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #23753, Hard
biǎn(bian3) T3
  1. 1to diminish
  2. 2to demote
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
贬(貶)biǎn(bian3)

The character 贬 (biǎn) primarily means to diminish, reduce, or devalue something, often in a negative context. It can refer to demoting someone in rank or status, disparaging someone's qualities, or criticizing a concept or idea. It is commonly used in discussions about performance evaluations, social status, or value judgments.

Strokes8Radical贝Frequency#23753DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, criticism can be subtle and indirect, often using 贬 in a way that reflects social hierarchy and respect. Understanding how to use this word appropriately is crucial in maintaining relationships during discussions about performance or behavior.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person being 'banished' (sounds like 'biǎn') from a higher position to a lower one, representing the act of diminishing their status. The character consists of the radical for 'money' (贞) suggesting value, combined with 'to speak' (言), emphasizing the communication involved in criticism.

Meanings of 贬

biǎn(bian3)
1to diminish
2to demote
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 贬

贬Simplified
貶Traditional
8Strokes
贝Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#23753Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 贬

JasonAmy

Podcast: 贬

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 贬

Quick Contrast

贬 (biǎn) vs 轻 (qīng) — use 贬 to emphasize a negative evaluation or devaluation, while 轻 refers to something being light or less serious.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person being 'banished' (sounds like 'biǎn') from a higher position to a lower one, representing the act of diminishing their status. The character consists of the radical for 'money' (贞) suggesting value, combined with 'to speak' (言), emphasizing the communication involved in criticism.

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using 贬, as it carries a negative connotation and can be seen as harsh or disrespectful. It is commonly used in formal contexts, especially in discussions about work or academic evaluations. A common collocation is 贬低 (biǎndī), meaning to belittle or disparage.

HSK Study Tips

Although 贬 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it is related to HSK Level 5 words about evaluation and judgment. Students should focus on its usage in formal contexts and understand how it contrasts with positive terms like 提升 (tíshēng) which means to promote.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, criticism can be subtle and indirect, often using 贬 in a way that reflects social hierarchy and respect. Understanding how to use this word appropriately is crucial in maintaining relationships during discussions about performance or behavior.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 贬 with 提升 (tíshēng), mistakenly using 贬 when they mean to promote someone. For example, saying '我想贬他' (wǒ xiǎng biǎn tā) instead of '我想提升他' (wǒ xiǎng tíshēng tā) would incorrectly imply a desire to demote rather than promote.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 贬

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 贬 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 贬

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

To devalue 乏 currency 贝

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 贬?

Decomposition of 贬

IDS Structure⿰贝乏
贬Full Character
=
贝Bei4
left
乏fa2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 贬?

Write 贬

贬

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 贬

贬 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

与其把钱存在银行里____值，不如投资一些有潜力的项目。

Rather than keeping money in the bank where it depreciates, it's better to invest in some promising projects.

Example Sentences for 贬 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
评论家们几乎一致贬抑这本书。

píng lùn jiā mén jī hū yī zhì biǎn yì zhè běn shū。

Reviewers have been almost unanimous in their disparagement of this book.
2
政客们贬低了“自由”一词的意义。

zhèng kè mén biǎn dī le“ “ zì” yóu ” yī cí de。

Politicians have debased the meaning of the word "freedom"
3
这将会造成数种欧洲货币的贬值。

zhè jiāng huì zào chéng shù zhǒng ōu zhōu huò bì de biǎn zhí。

It will lead to devaluation of a number of European currencies.
4
她是个自尊心很强的人，绝不会自贬身份去写匿名信。

tā shì gè zì zūn xīn hěn qiáng de rén， ， jué bù huì zì biǎn shēn fèn qù xiě nì míng。

She's got too much dignity to descend to writing anonymous letters.
5
直到现在，美元的贬值似乎都无法想象。

zhí dào xiàn zài， ， měi yuán de biǎn zhí sì hū dū wú fǎ xiǎng。

Until now, a devaluation of the dollar seemed inconceivable.
6
双方已经在使出浑身解数贬低对方了。

shuāng fāng yǐ jīng zài shǐ chū hún shēn jiě shù biǎn dī duì fāng le。

Already, both sides are jockeying to belittle the other side.
7
在那5年里，英镑贬值了25%。

zài nà5 5 nián， lǐ ， yīng bàng biǎn25%。

During those five years, the pound depreciated by a quarter.
8
除了81条正面评价之外，有26位学生的观点或中立，或褒贬参半，或负面，甚或跑了题。

chú le81 81 tiáo zhèng miàn píng jià zhī， wài26 ， yǒu 26 wèi xué shēng de guān diǎn， huò zhōng lì ， huò， bāo biǎn cān， bàn ， huò fù miàn。

In addition to the 81 positive comments, 26 students had neutral, mixed, negative or off topic views.
9
她学会了不再自我贬低，拿自己与别人相比。

tā xué huì le bù zài zì wǒ biǎn dī， ， ná zì jǐ yǔ bié rén xiāng。

She learned to stop putting herself down and comparing herself to others.
10
他在描述镇上体面人家时满是贬抑之词。

tā zài miáo shù zhèn shàng tǐ miàn rén jiā shí mǎn shì biǎn yì zhī cí。

He depicted the town's respectable families in an unflattering light.

Cultural Notes for 贬

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, criticism can be subtle and indirect, often using 贬 in a way that reflects social hierarchy and respect. Understanding how to use this word appropriately is crucial in maintaining relationships during discussions about performance or behavior.

Word Family of 贬

Words Containing This Character13
贬低biǎndīto belittle貶低
贬值biǎnzhíto devaluate貶值
贬biǎnto diminish貶
贬义biǎnyìderogatory sense貶義
褒贬to appraise褒貶
贬损to mock貶損
贬斥to demote貶斥
贬抑to belittle貶抑
贬谪to relegate貶謫
贬职to demote貶職
贬词derogatory term貶詞
贬多于褒to get more criticism than praise貶多於褒
一字褒贬concise and powerful style一字褒貶
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 贬低 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 贬

Synonyms include 轻视 (qīngshì), which means to belittle, and 贬低 (biǎndī), which means to disparage or devalue.