贲 (bēn) · to rush; to dash (literary, = 奔)

Meanings

1 to rush; to dash (literary, = 奔)
2 Bēn (surname)
3 as bì: ornate; decorated; 贲临 = to honour with one's presence

Characters

贲

bēn

rush; surname; (bì) ornate

Examples

HSK 3

贲老师教我们数学。

Bēn lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen shùxué.

Teacher Ben teaches us math.

HSK 5

古代有勇士名孟贲。

Gǔdài yǒu yǒngshì míng Mèng Bēn.

In ancient times there was a warrior named Meng Ben.

Tips

history

贲 has two readings rooted in different senses. As bēn it is interchangeable with 奔 (to rush) and gives names like 虎贲 (palace guards 'fierce as tigers rushing'). As bì it appears in classical 文言 as 'ornate, decorated' - the Yi Jing's 贲卦 (Bi hexagram, 'Adornment') is the canonical reference.

usage

As a phonetic component 贲 supplies the sound for the 喷-family: 喷 (spray), 愤 (indignation), 偾 (ruin), 鲼 (ray fish), 豮 (gelded boar). Vowel and tone drift heavily across the family - focus on the rough phonetic shell rather than exact pronunciation.

Components

radical

贝 bèi

cowrie; shell; money

Bottom cowrie radical - the indexing radical (Kangxi #154). Cowries served as ancient currency, so 贝 marks finance, ornament, and tribute words. The bì 'adornment' sense of 贲 (as in 贲临 'honour with one's presence') fits this radical naturally. Same family as 财, 货, 贵, 贱.

phonetic

卉 huì

plants; flowers

Top 卉 - the multi-plant glyph (three sprouts compressed). Historically supplied a related sound in the bēn/bì family. The connection here is phonetic rather than semantic - don't read 贲 as 'flowering wealth'. The phonetic role is the only active link.