饼

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 饼 (bǐng) for "cake" or "bread" has a rich history and etymology. It is composed of two parts: the radical 食 (shí), which indicates that the character is related to food, and the phonetic component 丙 (bǐng). The radical 食 is a pictograph depicting a person's mouth and a bowl of food, while the phonetic component 丙 is a character that represents the sound "bǐng."The earliest known form of the character 饼 appears in oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). In these inscriptions, the character is written as a simple combination of the radical 食 and the phonetic component 丙. Over time, the character evolved and became more complex, eventually taking on its current form.The character 饼 has several different meanings in Chinese. It can refer to a variety of flat, round cakes or breads, including pancakes, tortillas, and pies. It can also be used more broadly to refer to any type of pastry or baked good. In addition to its literal meaning, the character 饼 can also be used figuratively to describe something that is flat and round, such as a coin or a button.The character 饼 is a common character in Chinese and is used in a wide variety of contexts. It is an important character for HSK learners to know, as it is used in many everyday expressions and phrases.