巴
almost always marks the sound ba/pa in the character rather than the meaning · Character component
almost always marks the sound ba/pa in the character rather than the meaning
The old graph shows a single curved creature with a big head and a coiling tail, usually read as a snake, though the identification is not certain. You can still see it in the modern shape: a squarish head on top and one long stroke that sweeps down and hooks back to the right like a curled tail. In the great majority of characters it simply carries the sound — 把, 爬, 疤, 靶, 芭 — with a separate part supplying the meaning. Watch out for 色, 邑 and 肥, where the lower element looks like 巴 in print but goes back to a drawing of a kneeling person, not a snake.
巴 at a glance
- Meaning
- almost always marks the sound ba/pa in the character rather than the meaning
- Strokes
- 4
- Characters
- 23
- Role
- Contributes sound
Characters with 巴 (18 of 23)
HSK 1 · 1
HSK 3 · 1
HSK 4 · 1
HSK 6 · 1
Beyond HSK · 12
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 巴 mean?
巴 means "almost always marks the sound ba/pa in the character rather than the meaning". In the characters that contain it, it contributes sound.
How many Chinese characters contain 巴?
23 characters in this dictionary contain 巴, including ones at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 6.
How many strokes does 巴 have?
巴 is written in 4 strokes.