bei

Bei is a syllable used as a transliteration in Mandarin Chinese and in other languages, representing several distinct roots that are not etymologically related. In Chinese, the same pinyin spelling can correspond to different characters with different meanings, most commonly 北 and 贝/貝.

The character 北 means "north" and appears in many compound words and place names. It forms the core of Beijing (北京), meaning "Northern Capital." Another historical name is Beiping (北平), meaning "Northern Peace," which was used for the city at certain times before the contemporary name Beijing was settled. The component bei also appears in a wide range of geographic terms across Chinese-speaking regions as a directional element.

The character 贝/貝 means "shell" or "cowry," and historically these shells functioned as currency in parts of ancient China. As a surname,贝/貝 is found among Chinese populations, and in romanization it is represented as Bei, distinct from the北 used in geographic contexts.

Beyond Chinese usage, the syllable Bei appears in other languages with independent meanings. In German, the preposition bei means "at" or "near," a usage unrelated to the Chinese characters. In various transliteration systems, Bei may represent different syllables in non-Chinese names or terms.

Because Bei can denote multiple, unrelated concepts, its precise meaning depends on context, including the accompanying characters, the language, and the cultural setting.