Bibi-binary (Boby Lapointe, 1968)

Bibi-binary (or bibi) is a hexadecimal notation invented by Robert ‘Boby’ Lapointe (1922-1972), a French singer, humorist and mathematician, published in his essay Une éducation manquée in 1968. The principle: each half-byte (4 bits, i.e. one hex digit between 0 and 15) is represented by a two-letter phonetic syllable:

Hex	Syllable
0	HO
1	HA
2	HE
3	HI
4	BO
5	BA
6	BE
7	BI
8	KO
9	KA
A	DO
B	DA
C	DE
D	DI
E	GO
F	GA

The 4 consonants (H, B, K/D-G) signal high-order bits; the 4 vowels (O, A, E, I) signal low-order bits. Lapointe also designed a glyph for each syllable (combined circles and arcs), and that visual alphabet is what dCode reproduces. Read aloud, binary numbers become rhythmic songs — characteristic of the musical sensibility of the singer of Aragon et Castille and Marcelle.

Lapointe pushed the concept far enough to propose a bibi multiplication table and even a mechanical bibi calculator (never commercialised). The system never found practical success but remains a French cultural monument celebrated by lovers of chanson à texte.

How does Bibi-binary work?

Bibi-binary is a hexadecimal notation, not an alphabetic substitution: the table holds 16 graphical syllables for the 16 hex digits (0-9 + A-F), i.e. 16 symbols in total. To encode a decimal number, first convert it to hex (255 → FF, then FF → two Bibi glyphs).

Historical and modern usage

• Une éducation manquée essay (1968) — original publication.
• French chanson — often cited in books on French songwriting, on Lapointe and on mathematical games.
• Pedagogy — playful gateway to teach hexadecimal to French students.
• Francophone geek culture — regular reference in computing and chanson communities.

Related variants

• Standard hexadecimal notation — 0-9 + A-F without dedicated glyphs.
• Braille — see our dedicated entry, another visual 6-bit system.

What are the weaknesses?

• Hexadecimal notation, not encryption — provides no security (public table).
• Conversion required — to encode text, you must first convert it to hex (UTF-8 → bytes → hex), adding a transcription step.
• Glyph variations — different editions of the system can redraw the syllables.

The 6 A-F syllables

The 10 digits