爸 meaning and stroke order
Father; dad; pa
How to write 爸, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 爸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- father
- dad
- pa
- papa
How 爸 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Father.
父 gives the meaning and 巴 hints at the sound.
Radical: 父 (father), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 爸
The top part is 父 (fù), the formal word for father, which gives the meaning. The bottom part is 巴 (bā), which gives the sound, so 爸 is the father who is called "ba."
爸 is almost always used as 爸爸 (bàba) in everyday speech, or as 老爸 (lǎobà) in a casual, affectionate way. 爸妈 (bàmā) is a common way to say "my parents." Example: 我爸爸是老师。(Wǒ bàba shì lǎoshī.) My dad is a teacher.
Common mistake: In 爸爸 the second 爸 is said in the neutral tone, so it sounds like bà ba, not bà bà. Learners also sometimes write the bottom as 己 or 巳 instead of 巴, which has a closed top and a hook at the end.
Common words with 爸
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
爸 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 爸
How many strokes are in 爸?
爸 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 爸 mean?
爸 (bà) means father; dad; pa. A common word with it is 爸爸 (bàba), meaning "(coll.) father; dad".
How do you pronounce 爸?
爸 is pronounced bà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 爸?
The radical of 爸 is 父, which carries the idea of "father". Dictionaries list 爸 under this radical.
Is 爸 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 爸 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 爸爸 and 父亲?
爸爸 (bàba) is the everyday word you use to talk to or about your dad. 父亲 (fùqīn) is formal and written, used in documents, speeches, or serious writing. You would not normally call out 父亲 to your own father.
How do I say "my dad" in Chinese?
You can say 我爸爸 (wǒ bàba) or, more casually, 我爸 (wǒ bà). The possessive 的 (de) is usually dropped with close family members.