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払 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
払fǎnshake off, brush away; dustx, 5 strokes, radical 扌
払fǎnto takeunknown, 5 strokes, radical 扌
払fǎnJapanese variant of 拂[fu2]unknown, 5 strokes, radical 扌
払fǎnto fetchunknown, 5 strokes, radical 扌
払fúshake off, brush away; dustx, 5 strokes, radical 扌
払fúto takeunknown, 5 strokes, radical 扌
払fúJapanese variant of 拂[fu2]unknown, 5 strokes, radical 扌
払fúto fetchunknown, 5 strokes, radical 扌
fǎn(fan3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1shake off, brush away; dust
  2. 2to take
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

払fǎn(fan3)

The character 払 (fǎn) primarily means to shake off or brush away something, often dust or debris. It can also imply the action of taking or fetching something. In certain contexts, it can serve as a variant in Japanese for the character 拂 (fu2), adding to its nuanced usage in different languages.

Strokes5Radical扌
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of brushing away dust is often symbolic of clearing away negative energy or bad luck, especially during festivals like the Lunar New Year when cleaning is a common practice to welcome good fortune.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person shaking off dust from their clothes after a day out. The character 払 looks like a hand (扌) brushing away dirt (the horizontal line represents the action), helping you remember that it means to shake off.

Meanings of 払

fǎn(fan3)
primary
1shake off, brush away; dust
2to take
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 払

払Simplified
5Strokes
扌Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 払

JasonAmy

Podcast: 払

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 払

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 払 with 拂 (fu2), as they have similar meanings but different usages. 払 is generally more informal, used in everyday contexts when talking about cleaning or tidying up. Be cautious with the tone; ensure you pronounce it as fǎn to convey the correct meaning.

HSK Study Tips

While 払 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to other HSK words related to cleaning and tidying, such as 清 (qīng, to clean). Students should focus on the action-oriented nature of the word, which can enhance their descriptive vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 払 with 拂, mistakenly using 払 in more formal contexts. For example, saying 払去 (fǎn qù) in a formal essay instead of 拂去 (fu2 qù) can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 払

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Etymology of 払

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
+
Phonetic (sound)厶
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 払

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half厶 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhand
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 払? 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 払?

Decomposition of 払

IDS Structure⿰扌厶
払Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
厶mou3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 払?

How to say shake off, brush away; dust in Chinese

“shake off, brush away; dust” in Chinese is払fǎn

The character 払 (fǎn) primarily means to shake off or brush away something, often dust or debris. It can also imply the action of taking or fetching something. In certain contexts, it can serve as a variant in Japanese for the character 拂 (fu2), adding to its nuanced usage in different languages.

When to use 払

Common mistakes include confusing 払 with 拂 (fu2), as they have similar meanings but different usages. 払 is generally more informal, used in everyday contexts when talking about cleaning or tidying up. Be cautious with the tone; ensure you pronounce it as fǎn to convey the correct meaning.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 払 with 拂, mistakenly using 払 in more formal contexts. For example, saying 払去 (fǎn qù) in a formal essay instead of 拂去 (fu2 qù) can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 払

払

Practice writing 払 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 払

Words Containing This Character1
払fǎnto take
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 払 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 払

You might see 払 used in phrases related to cleaning, like 払去灰尘 (fǎn qù huīchén), meaning 'to brush away dust'.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 払?

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