碑 means “monument, stone tablet”

ひ · hi

Also: tombstone

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

いしぶみ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ヒ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 14 strokes

The story

Stone (石) beside 卑, low and humble: picture a plain slab by the roadside that outlasts everyone who passes. 碑 is an engraved monument: a 記念碑 marks an event, a 慰霊碑 honors the dead, and Bashō's haiku are carved on 句碑 across Japan.

Used in 記念碑 (kinenhi, monument), 石碑 (sekihi, stone monument), and 慰霊碑 (ireihi, memorial to the dead)

More from Crests & Honors

• 傑 outstanding
• 褒 praise
• 璽 imperial seal
• 標 mark
• 徴 sign
• 功 merit
• 称 name
• 誉 honor
• 威 dignity
• 旗 flag
• 誇 pride
• 彰 commend

Learn 碑 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.