跋 meaning and stroke order
To walk, to travel; epilogue, colophon
How to write 跋, stroke by stroke
12 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 跋
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- postscript
- to trek across mountains
How 跋 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 犮 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 跋
The left side is the foot radical 足 (zú), which tells you this character is about walking. The right side 犮 gives the sound bá, so picture your feet carrying you on a long, hard trek.
跋 (bá) rarely appears alone in everyday speech. It shows up mostly in 跋涉 (báshè, to trek) and the set phrase 长途跋涉 (chángtú báshè). Example: 他们长途跋涉来到这里。(Tāmen chángtú báshè láidào zhèlǐ.) They made a long, hard journey to get here. In writing about books, 跋 also means a postscript or afterword.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 跋 with 拔 (bá, to pull out), which has the same sound and the same right side but uses the hand radical 扌. Remember that feet 足 walk and hands 扌 pull.
Common words with 跋
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 长途跋涉 | chángtúbáshè | long and difficult trek | |
| 跋涉 | báshè | to trudge; to trek |
Questions about 跋
How many strokes are in 跋?
跋 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 跋 mean?
跋 (bá) means to walk, to travel; epilogue, colophon. A common word with it is 长途跋涉 (chángtúbáshè), meaning "long and difficult trek".
How do you pronounce 跋?
跋 is pronounced bá, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 跋?
The radical of 跋 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 跋 under this radical.
What is the difference between 跋 and 序 in a book?
序 (xù) is a preface that comes before the main text. 跋 (bá) is a postscript or afterword placed at the end. You may also see 后记 (hòujì) used for an afterword in modern books.
Does 跋涉 only mean walking?
Literally it means crossing mountains and wading through water, so it describes a tiring journey on foot. It can also be used for any long, exhausting trip, even by car or train, when you want to stress the hardship.