卑 bēi inferior
humble; low; inferior
How it came to be
A hand at the bottom holding a flat tool up: work done from underneath. The position in the drawing is the meaning: the one whose hand is the lower of the two.
How it is used
- Low/humble in status, or base in character - 卑微 (bēiwēi) lowly, 卑鄙 (bēibǐ) despicable, 自卑 (zìbēi) to feel inferior.
- 自卑 is the key everyday word: an inferiority complex, feeling small - opposite of 自信 (self-confidence), 充满自信 (chōngmǎn zìxìn) full of confidence.
- 谦卑 (qiānbēi) = humble (positive), but 卑鄙 = morally base (negative) - the tone flips with the pairing.