披 (pī) · to drape over one's shoulders; to wrap around

Meanings

1 to drape over one's shoulders; to wrap around
2 to open; to spread out; to crack open

Characters

披

pī

to drape; to throw over

Examples

HSK 4

他披上外套就出门了。

Tā pī shàng wàitào jiù chūmén le.

He threw on a coat and went out.

HSK 5

她披着一条围巾。

Tā pī zhe yìtiáo wéijīn.

She has a scarf draped over her shoulders.

HSK 6

她长发披肩。

Tā chángfà pījiān.

Her long hair falls over her shoulders.

Tips

usage

披 describes draping something loosely rather than wearing it properly. 披着外套 = coat draped on shoulders (not worn with arms in sleeves). 穿着外套 = wearing a coat normally.

memory

Think of a cape or cloak being thrown over the shoulders - that's the core image of 披.

Components

radical

扌 shǒu

hand (left radical form)

Left hand radical (Kangxi #64 手 in its 3-stroke compressed form). Anchors the action: 披 is to drape or throw on with the hands - a coat over the shoulders (披着外套), a shawl wrapped around someone, hair let down (披肩长发 'shoulder-length flowing hair'). Same radical groups 打, 拉, 推, 抱 - hand-action verbs.

phonetic

皮 pí

skin; hide

Right phonetic 皮 - supplies the sound, shifting tone to pī. Same phonetic family as 波 (bō, wave), 破 (pò, break), 坡 (pō, slope), 玻 (bō, glass). The 'skin/hide' meaning of 皮 also faintly tints 披: draping is like covering with a hide. Recognising 皮 on the right cues the bō/pō/pī cluster.