办 meaning and stroke order
To take care of (a matter); to deal with (a task, procedure etc); to organize (an event); to establish; to set up; to manage; to run (an enterprise); (law) to handle; to investigate; to prosecute (a case or suspect)
How to write 办, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 办
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to take care of (a matter); to deal with (a task, procedure etc); to organize (an event)
- to establish; to set up; to manage; to run (an enterprise)
- (law) to handle; to investigate; to prosecute (a case or suspect)
- (bound form) office (as in 招辦|招办[zhao1 ban4], admissions office) (abbr. for 辦公室|办公室[ban4 gong1 shi4])
How 办 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Strength.
力 gives the meaning and 八 hints at the sound.
Radical: 力 (strength), shared by 44 characters on this site.
How to remember 办
办 is built from 力 (lì, strength) with two dots on each side, which come from 八 (bā), the sound component. Picture strength 力 in the middle with sweat drops flying off both sides as you work hard to get something done.
办 (bàn) means to handle or take care of a task, and it also means to organize or run something like an event or a business. It appears in very common words like 办法 (bànfǎ, method) and 办公室 (bàngōngshì, office). Example: 这件事我来办。(Zhè jiàn shì wǒ lái bàn.) I will take care of this matter.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 办 with 为 (wèi/wéi), which also has two dots, but 为 has both dots on the left and inside, while 办 has one dot on each side of 力. Also, do not mix 办 with 力 alone, since forgetting the side dots turns it into a different character.
Common words with 办
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 怎么办 | zěnme bàn | what's to be done | HSK 2 |
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way of handling sth; means; measure; (practical) solution to a problem | HSK 2 |
| 办公室 | bàngōngshì | office; business premises | HSK 2 |
| 举办 | jǔbàn | to conduct; to hold (an event) | HSK 3 |
| 办理 | bànlǐ | to handle; to transact; to conduct | HSK 3 |
| 办事 | bànshì | to handle (affairs); to work | HSK 4 |
| 主办 | zhǔbàn | to organize; to host (a conference or sports event) | HSK 5 |
| 承办 | chéngbàn | to undertake; to accept a contract | HSK 5 |
| 办公 | bàngōng | to handle official business (usu. in an office); to do (office) work | HSK 6 |
| 办事处 | bànshìchù | office; agency; bureau | HSK 6 |
| 创办 | chuàngbàn | to establish; to found | HSK 6 |
| 办学 | bànxué | to run a school | HSK 6 |
| 办不到 | bàn bu dào | cannot be done; not feasible; impossible to accomplish | HSK 7-9 |
| 照办 | zhàobàn | to follow the rules; to do as instructed | HSK 7-9 |
办 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 办
Learning 办 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 办
How many strokes are in 办?
办 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 办 mean?
办 (bàn) means to take care of (a matter); to deal with (a task, procedure etc); to organize (an event); to establish; to set up; to manage; to run (an enterprise); (law) to handle; to investigate; to prosecute (a case or suspect). A common word with it is 怎么办 (zěnme bàn), meaning "what's to be done".
How do you pronounce 办?
办 is pronounced bàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 办?
The radical of 办 is 力, which carries the idea of "strength". Dictionaries list 办 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 办?
The traditional form of 办 is 辦. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 办 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 办 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 办 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 怎么办 mean and when do I use it?
怎么办 (zěnme bàn) means "what should I do" or "what now." People say it when facing a problem, as in 下雨了，怎么办？(Xià yǔ le, zěnme bàn?) It is raining, what do we do?
What is the difference between 办 and 做 (zuò)?
做 is a general verb for doing or making things, like 做饭 (zuò fàn, to cook). 办 is used for handling matters, procedures, or organizing events, like 办签证 (bàn qiānzhèng, to apply for a visa) or 办活动 (bàn huódòng, to hold an event).