| 贝 bèi |
| shellfish ; cowrie |
| 贝壳 bèi ké |
| 宝贝 bǎo bèi | |
贝, cowrie, refers to a mollusk. Its form is like a shellfish with its two shells open. Ancient people accepted cowries as currency, therefore, characters with the radical 贝 generally have a meaning pertaining to wealth. |