---
id: wiki-2026-0508-bem
title: BEM
category: 10_Wiki/Topics
status: verified
canonical_id: self
aliases: [Block Element Modifier, BEM Methodology]
duplicate_of: none
source_trust_level: A
confidence_score: 0.9
verification_status: applied
tags: [css, bem, methodology, naming-convention]
raw_sources: []
last_reinforced: 2026-05-10
github_commit: pending
tech_stack:
  language: CSS
  framework: BEM
---

# BEM

## 매 한 줄
> **"매 Block, Element, Modifier 매 명시적 naming"**. BEM은 Yandex가 2009년 도입한 CSS naming methodology — `.block__element--modifier` 형식으로 component scope를 explicit encode하여 specificity war 없이 large CSS codebase를 maintain. 2026 기준 CSS Modules / Tailwind / CSS-in-JS에 밀렸으나 SSR-heavy + design-system context에서 여전히 active.

## 매 핵심

### 매 3 entity
- **Block**: 매 standalone component — `.button`, `.menu`, `.card`.
- **Element**: 매 block 내부 part — `.card__title`, `.menu__item`.
- **Modifier**: 매 variation/state — `.button--primary`, `.menu__item--active`.

### Naming rule
- `.block`
- `.block__element` (double underscore)
- `.block--modifier` 또는 `.block__element--modifier` (double dash)
- 매 hyphen 매 word separator: `.search-form__input--wide`.

### 매 응용
1. Design system component class 명명.
2. CSS Module 없이 SSR 환경 scope 격리.
3. SCSS partial 으로 component file 별 분리.

## 💻 패턴

### Basic BEM
```html
<button class="button button--primary">Save</button>

<div class="card card--featured">
  <h3 class="card__title">제목</h3>
  <p class="card__body">본문</p>
  <a class="card__link card__link--external" href="...">More</a>
</div>
```

```css
.button { padding: 0.5rem 1rem; }
.button--primary { background: #0066cc; color: #fff; }
.button--primary:hover { background: #0052a3; }

.card { border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 4px; }
.card--featured { border-color: gold; }
.card__title { font-size: 1.25rem; }
.card__body { color: #555; }
.card__link--external::after { content: ' ↗'; }
```

### SCSS with & parent selector
```scss
.menu {
  display: flex;

  &__item {
    padding: 0.5rem 1rem;

    &--active {
      background: #eee;
      font-weight: bold;
    }

    &:hover { background: #f5f5f5; }
  }

  &--vertical {
    flex-direction: column;
  }
}
```

### BEM with React (JSX)
```tsx
import classNames from 'classnames';

function Button({ variant = 'default', size = 'md', children, disabled }) {
  const cls = classNames(
    'button',
    `button--${variant}`,
    `button--${size}`,
    { 'button--disabled': disabled }
  );
  return <button className={cls} disabled={disabled}>{children}</button>;
}
```

### BEM helper utility
```ts
function bem(block: string) {
  return (element?: string, modifier?: string | string[]) => {
    const base = element ? `${block}__${element}` : block;
    if (!modifier) return base;
    const mods = (Array.isArray(modifier) ? modifier : [modifier])
      .filter(Boolean)
      .map(m => `${base}--${m}`)
      .join(' ');
    return `${base} ${mods}`;
  };
}

const card = bem('card');
card();                       // 'card'
card('title');                // 'card__title'
card('title', 'large');       // 'card__title card__title--large'
card(undefined, 'featured');  // 'card card--featured'
```

### Don't nest blocks deeply
```css
/* 매 BEM rule: 매 element 의 element 의 X */
/* X */
.card__body__title

/* O — 매 flat */
.card__title
```

### Mix vs nest
```html
<!-- 매 mix: block 매 다른 block 의 element 의 same node -->
<button class="button button--primary header__action"></button>
```

## 매 결정 기준
| 상황 | Approach |
|---|---|
| Server-rendered, no build | BEM |
| React + build pipeline | CSS Modules / Tailwind |
| Design system stable | BEM (predictable) |
| Rapid prototyping | Tailwind |
| Theme-heavy | CSS-in-JS / vanilla-extract |

**기본값**: 2026 신규 프로젝트 — Tailwind / CSS Modules. Legacy / framework-agnostic — BEM.

## 🔗 Graph
- 부모: [[CSS]] · [[CSS 구조 설계 방식]]
- 변형: [[OOCSS]] · [[SMACSS]] · [[ITCSS]]
- 응용: [[Design System]] · [[SCSS]]
- Adjacent: [[CSS Modules]] · [[Tailwind CSS]]

## 🤖 LLM 활용
**언제**: convert legacy CSS to BEM, generate consistent class names, BEM rule lint.
**언제 X**: 매 modern utility-first project — Tailwind 가 더 적합.

## ❌ 안티패턴
- **Element 의 element**: `.card__body__title` — flat 으로 변경.
- **Modifier 만 사용**: `.large` — must be `.button--large`.
- **Block 의 child selector**: `.card .card__title` — flat naming 의 point 의 lost.
- **Camel case mix**: `.cardTitle` — 매 BEM 규칙 hyphen.

## 🧪 검증 / 중복
- Verified (Yandex BEM official, getbem.com).
- 신뢰도 A.
- 매 동일 wiki에 [[BEM (Block Element Modifier)]] file 존재 — both kept as alias siblings.

## 🕓 Changelog
| 날짜 | 변경 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Phase 1 |
| 2026-05-10 | Manual cleanup — BEM 3 entity + helper pattern 정리 |
