备 is a Chinese character with 8 strokes, radical 夂 (go), HSK 2 on the new exam.
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
The oracle-bone and bronze forms of 備 (the traditional form of 备) depict a person beside a quiver of arrows, showing arrows ready and prepared for use. Some scholars read the original graph as a container holding arrows upright, which gave the sense of having something ready to hand. The character is therefore pictographic in origin, centred on the idea of readiness through storage.
Form evolution
The bronze form clearly shows the quiver-with-arrows element, often with a human figure alongside. Seal script regularised this into the complex traditional form 備, with 亻 (person) on the left and the quiver component on the right. Clerical script preserved the structure. The modern simplified 备 is a heavy reduction that drops the person radical entirely and simplifies the right-hand component into a compact form that no longer shows the original pictograph.
How the meaning evolved
The original concrete meaning of having arrows ready broadened early into the general sense of to prepare, to have ready, or to provide. Classical texts use 備 for military readiness, provisioning, and completeness. Modern Mandarin keeps all of these: 准备 (prepare), 设备 (equipment), 具备 (to possess, to have the necessary), and 完备 (complete, fully equipped).
Cultural note
The famous Three Kingdoms strategist Liu Bei 刘备 carries this character in his given name, chosen for its connotations of being fully prepared and capable. The idiom 有备无患 (yǒu bèi wú huàn, if you are prepared you will have no trouble) is one of the most common four-character sayings a learner will meet and preserves the original military sense of readiness.
Mnemonic
Walking down to the field — to prepare
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Stroke count | 8 strokes |
| Radical | 夂 (#34: go) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 2 |
| Frequency | #198 most common |
Example sentences
我准备考试。
Wǒ zhǔnbèi kǎoshì.
I'm preparing for the exam.
From 准备 (HSK 2)
工厂购买了新的生产设备。
Gōngchǎng gòumǎi le xīn de shēngchǎn shèbèi.
The factory purchased new production equipment.
From 设备 (HSK 5)
他具备担任经理的所有条件。
Tā jùbèi dānrèn jīnglǐ de suǒyǒu tiáojiàn.
He possesses all the qualifications to serve as manager.
From 具备 (HSK 5)
Words containing 备
Related characters
Similar meaning (action)
On the new HSK 2 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.