鞭 biān whip
whip; to lash
How to remember 鞭: 革 leather + 便 cheap = whip. The rodeo cowboy buys cheap strips of leather, twists them into a handle and loves to crack his long whip.
Component breakdown
鞭 = 革 leather + 便 cheap
- 革 leather
- 便 cheap
- 亻 person
- 更 even more
The rodeo cowboy buys cheap strips of leather, twists them into a handle and loves to crack his long whip.
How it is used
- A whip and the verb to whip: 鞭子 (biānzi) whip, 鞭打 (biāndǎ) to lash.
- Figuratively 鞭策 (biāncè) to spur on/urge forward: 鞭策自己 (biāncè zìjǐ) to push oneself.
- 鞭炮 (biānpào) firecrackers borrows the crackling-whip image; a string of them is set off at festivals.