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March 24, 2026
叭bā(ba1)
The character 叭 (bā) represents a sound or sharp noise, often associated with the sound of a trumpet or other loud noises like gunfire. It is commonly used in contexts where a specific sound is being described, highlighting its auditory qualities.
Strokes5Radical口Frequency#16098DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, sounds play an important role in storytelling and traditional music, where instruments like the trumpet are often featured in celebrations and festivals, making 叭 relevant in those contexts.
Memory Tip
Imagine a trumpet player going 'ba!' as they blow into their instrument, creating a sharp, piercing sound. The character 叭 looks like someone blowing into a trumpet, with the horizontal line representing the mouthpiece and the vertical strokes resembling the sound waves emanating from it.
Meanings of 叭
bā(ba1)
1denote a sound or sharp noise (gunfire etc)
2trumpet
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 叭
叭Simplified
5Strokes
口Radical
拟声词onomatopoeia (onom.)Part of Speech
#16098Frequency Rank
Podcast: 叭
Podcast: 叭
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AI Study Notes for 叭
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 叭 with similar-sounding characters. It's used informally and frequently appears in onomatopoeic contexts. Be mindful of pronunciation; 叭 is pronounced with a high-level tone, which can be easily mixed up with the falling tone of other similar words.
HSK Study Tips
While 叭 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary, it connects to sounds represented in other HSK characters, such as 啊 (ā) and 嘴 (zuǐ). Focus on listening and pronunciation to grasp its auditory connotations.
Common Mistakes
A frequent mistake is to confuse 叭 with 拔 (bá), which means to pull out. Remember that 叭 is related to sounds, while 拔 refers to an action. For example, saying '我叭了树' (I bā-ed the tree) is incorrect; it should be '我拔了树' (I pulled out the tree).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 叭
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Drill the tone of 叭 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 八 represents the sound.
1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
2The sound half八 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaymouth
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 叭? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 叭?
Decomposition of 叭
IDS Structure⿰口八
叭Full Character
=
口kou3
left
八ba1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 叭?
How to say denote a sound or sharp noise (gunfire etc) in Chinese
“denote a sound or sharp noise (gunfire etc)” in Chinese is叭bā
The character 叭 (bā) represents a sound or sharp noise, often associated with the sound of a trumpet or other loud noises like gunfire. It is commonly used in contexts where a specific sound is being described, highlighting its auditory qualities.
When to use 叭
Learners often confuse 叭 with similar-sounding characters. It's used informally and frequently appears in onomatopoeic contexts. Be mindful of pronunciation; 叭 is pronounced with a high-level tone, which can be easily mixed up with the falling tone of other similar words.
What learners get wrong
A frequent mistake is to confuse 叭 with 拔 (bá), which means to pull out. Remember that 叭 is related to sounds, while 拔 refers to an action. For example, saying '我叭了树' (I bā-ed the tree) is incorrect; it should be '我拔了树' (I pulled out the tree).
Write 叭
叭
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Practice writing 叭 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 叭
叭 functions as an onomatopoeic word — it imitates a sound. It often functions as an adverbial or stand-alone exclamation rather than a true verb or noun. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
负责选举的官员们已经临时安了几个喇____，让投票者可以同时享受音乐。
Election officials have rigged up speakers to provide voters with music.
Example Sentences for 叭 (6)
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1
负责选举的官员们已经临时安了几个喇叭，让投票者可以同时享受音乐。
fù zé xuǎn jǔ de guān yuán mén yǐ jīng lín shí ān le jī gè lǎ bā， ， ràng tóu piào zhě kě yǐ tóng shí xiǎng shòu yīn。
Election officials have rigged up speakers to provide voters with music.
2
司机冲我挥挥手，按了下喇叭。
sī jī chōng wǒ huī huī shǒu， ， àn le xià lǎ。
The driver gave me a wave and a toot.
3
她按了一下喇叭，把车开到右边停下。
tā àn le yī xià lǎ bā， ， bǎ chē kāi dào yòu biān tíng。
