捌 meaning and stroke order
To split, to break open; eight (bankers' anti-fraud numeral)
How to write 捌, stroke by stroke
10 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
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- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 捌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- eight (banker's anti-fraud numeral)
- split
How 捌 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To separate 别 by hand 扌; 别 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 捌
The hand 扌 on the left pulls things apart, and 别 (bié) means to separate, so 捌 is a hand splitting something open. Picture a hand prying a bundle of eight sticks apart to remember its numeral meaning.
Today 捌 is almost only used as the formal, fraud-proof way to write the number eight on checks, receipts, and contracts, because 八 can easily be altered. Example: 捌佰元 (bā bǎi yuán) means eight hundred yuan.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the right side as 另 or forget the 刂 knife part of 别, which makes the character wrong. Also remember it is read bā, like 八, not bié like its component 别.
Questions about 捌
How many strokes are in 捌?
捌 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 捌 mean?
捌 (bā) means to split, to break open; eight (bankers' anti-fraud numeral).
How do you pronounce 捌?
捌 is pronounced bā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 捌?
The radical of 捌 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 捌 under this radical.
What are the other banker's numerals besides 捌?
The full set is 壹 (1), 贰 (2), 叁 (3), 肆 (4), 伍 (5), 陆 (6), 柒 (7), 捌 (8), 玖 (9), and 拾 (10). Larger units are written 佰 (hundred) and 仟 (thousand).
Should I use 捌 instead of 八 in everyday writing?
No. In normal texts, messages, and phone numbers you write 八. Use 捌 only when writing amounts of money in formal financial documents.