currency

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
丿 simplified component

丿  Simplified component

piě

  

line

Shorthand for the phonetic component in the traditional character .

巾 meaning component

  Meaning component

jīn

  

cloth

Evolution

币 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
币 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
币 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
币 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

currency, coins, legal tender; money; coins; currency; silk

Most common words with 币
Freq.
Word
Meaning

硬币

coin

人民币

Renminbi (RMB)

货币

currency

money

金币

gold coin