别

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 别 (bié) is composed of two parts: the radical 刂 (dāo), which represents a knife or blade, and the phonetic component 月 (yuè), which represents the moon. The original meaning of 别 was "to cut apart" or "to separate", which is still one of its meanings today. However, over time, the character has also developed a number of other meanings, including "to distinguish", "to say goodbye", and "to be different".The character 别 is first attested in oracle bone script, the earliest known form of Chinese writing, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). In oracle bone script, the character is depicted as a knife cutting through a piece of meat. This image is consistent with the original meaning of the character, "to cut apart".The character 别 has also been used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 别出心裁 (bié chū xīn cái) means "to be original or creative", while the proverb 别有洞天 (bié yǒu dòng tiān) means "there is another world beyond this one".The character 别 is a versatile character with a rich history and a variety of meanings. It is an important character for HSK learners to master, as it is used in a wide range of contexts.