颖

Tap the pinyin to hear it

head of grain; husk; tip; point; clever; gifted; outstanding

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

禾 meaning “rice” + 匕 sound ( bǐ )

Components 匕禾页

clever · Heisig RSH #2010

spoon + wild rice + head

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
脱颖而出	tuō yǐng ér chū	to reveal one's talent (idiom); to rise above others; to distinguish oneself
孔颖达	Kǒng Yǐng dá	Kong Yingda (574-648), Confucian scholar
新颖	xīn yǐng	lit. new bud; fig. new and original
王颖	Wáng Yǐng	Wayne Wang (1949-), Chinese US film director
颖果	yǐng guǒ	(botany) caryopsis
颖异	yǐng yì	highly intelligent; original and unique
关颖珊	Guān Yǐng shān	Michelle Kwan (1980-), former American figure skater, Olympic medalist
邓颖超	Dèng Yǐng chāo	Deng Yingchao (1904-1992), Chinese communist leader, wife of Zhou Enlai 周恩來\|周恩来
颖悟	yǐng wù	intelligent; bright
聪颖	cōng yǐng	smart; intelligent

Characters sharing the sound component 匕 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
匕 sound part	bǐ	spoon, ladle; knife, dirk
叱	chì	to scold, to upbraid; to shout at
鸨	bǎo	bustard; procuress; Otis species (various)
牝	pìn	female animal; keyhole; valley
庀	pǐ	to prepare; to regulate
龀	chèn	to lose one's baby teeth