擺 meaning and stroke order
To arrange, to display; pendulum, swing
How to write 擺, stroke by stroke
18 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 擺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to arrange
- to exhibit
- to move to and fro
- a pendulum
How 擺 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 罷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 擺
The hand radical 扌 shows you do this with your hands, and 罷 (bà) gives the sound. Picture a hand setting things out on a table, then swinging them back and forth like a pendulum.
擺 is the traditional form of 摆, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It covers placing or arranging objects, swinging motions, and words like 摆脱 (bǎituō, to break away from). Example: 把碗擺在桌上。(Bǎ wǎn bǎi zài zhuō shang.) Put the bowls on the table.
Common mistake: Learners often read it as bà because of the phonetic part 罷, but 擺 is third tone bǎi. Also do not confuse it with 罷 alone, which means to stop or cease, as in 罷工 (bàgōng, to go on strike).
Common words with 擺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 擺脫 | bǎituō | to break away from; to cast off (old ideas etc) | HSK 4 |
| 擺動 | bǎidòng | to sway; to swing | HSK 4 |
| 擺平 | bǎipíng | to be fair; to be impartial | HSK 7-9 |
| 搖擺 | yáobǎi | to sway; to wobble | HSK 7-9 |
| 擺設 | bǎishe | to set out; to display | HSK 7-9 |
| 擺放 | bǎifàng | to set up; to arrange; to lay out | HSK 7-9 |
| 擺布 | bǎibù | to arrange; to order about | |
| 擺弄 | bǎinòng | to move back and forth; to fiddle with | |
| 明擺著 | míngbǎizhe | evident; clear | |
| 大搖大擺 | dàyáodàbǎi | to strut; swaggering | |
| 擺出 | bǎichū | to assume; to adopt (a look, pose, manner etc) | |
| 顯擺 | xiǎnbai | (coll.) to show off | |
| 擺盤 | bǎipán | to arrange food on a plate; to plate up | |
| 擺明 | bǎimíng | to show clearly |
Questions about 擺
How many strokes are in 擺?
擺 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 擺 mean?
擺 (bǎi) means to arrange, to display; pendulum, swing. A common word with it is 摆脱 (bǎituō), meaning "to break away from; to cast off (old ideas etc)".
How do you pronounce 擺?
擺 is pronounced bǎi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 擺?
The radical of 擺 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 擺 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 擺?
擺 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 摆, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 擺架子 mean?
擺架子 (bǎi jiàzi) means to put on airs or act self-important. It literally suggests displaying a fancy frame, so the idea of showing off comes from the display sense of 擺.
How is 擺 different from 放 (fàng) when placing things?
放 simply means to put something down. 擺 suggests arranging things neatly or on display, so 擺桌子 can mean setting the table, while 放 just places an item somewhere.