碑 (bēi) - Stele — an upright stone slab or pillar & a tablet.

碑Tone 1

bēi ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

碑 · bēi

Stele — an upright stone slab or pillar typically inscribed with commemorative text, epitaphs, or records;

a tablet.

Stele — an upright stone slab or pillara tablet.

Usage highlights

Stone steleMonumentStele inscriptionTombstoneStele forestStele base

Synonyms

  • 碣— Stone tablet (often circular-top)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ancient tombstone was a marble stele (石碑).
  • They erected a monument (纪念碑) to honor the heroes.
  • The epitaph (墓志铭碑) recorded the deceased's life.
  • This is a stele inscription (碑文) from the Tang dynasty.

Collocations

  • Stone stele(石碑)
  • Monument(纪念碑)
  • Stele inscription(碑文)
  • Tombstone(墓碑)
  • Stele forest(碑林)
  • Stele base(碑座)

Idioms

  • A monument to one's achievements(树碑立传)
  • To have one's merits recorded on a tablet(功垂竹帛，名刻金石)
  • Act as a living monument(有口皆碑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Stelae have been used in China for millennia to record important events, imperial edicts, Buddhist scriptures, and commemorate individuals.
  • The 'Stele Forest' (碑林) in Xi'an is a famous museum housing a large collection of historical stelae.
  • Stelae serve as crucial primary sources for historians studying Chinese calligraphy, politics, and social history.

FAQ