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撥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
撥bōto stir, to move, to distribute, to allocatex, 15 strokes, radical 扌
bō(bo1) T1
  1. 1to stir, to move, to distribute, to allocate
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March 24, 2026

撥bō(bo1)

The character 撥 (bō) primarily means 'to stir' or 'to move' in a physical sense, such as stirring a liquid. It can also imply the act of distributing or allocating resources or items. Common contexts for its use include cooking, resource management, and physical movements.

Strokes15Radical扌
Cultural Note

In Chinese cooking, stirring is an essential technique, often linked to achieving the right flavor and consistency in dishes. The act of stirring symbolizes careful attention to detail in food preparation, reflecting a broader cultural value placed on culinary skills.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef 'stirring' a pot of stew with a big spoon. The character 撥 has the radical for hand (扌) on the left, symbolizing the action of stirring with your hand, while the right part suggests movement. Think of 'bō' as the sound of a bubbling pot as you stir.

Meanings of 撥

bō(bo1)
1to stir, to move, to distribute, to allocate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 撥

撥Simplified
15Strokes
扌Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 撥

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Podcast: 撥

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AI Study Notes for 撥

Quick Contrast

拨 (bō) vs 摇 (yáo) — use 撥 for stirring or moving substances, while 摇 is specifically for shaking or swaying.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 撥 is pronounced with a high-level tone (bō). It is often used in both formal and informal contexts but is particularly relevant in culinary or logistical settings. Common collocations include 撥水 (stir water) and 撥款 (allocate funds).

HSK Study Tips

While 撥 is not included in HSK levels, it connects with other movement-related verbs such as 移动 (yídòng - to move) and 搬 (bān - to carry). Focus on practicing its usage in sentences related to cooking and resource allocation for better retention.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 撥 with similar verbs like 搬 (bān - to carry), leading to sentences like '我撥书' (I stir books), which is incorrect. The correct usage would be '我搬书' (I move books).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 撥

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Etymology of 撥

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

To dispatch 發 goods by hand 扌

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 撥

  1. 1The giveawayTo dispatch 發 goods by hand 扌
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

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

Want the full history of 撥? 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 撥?

Decomposition of 撥

IDS Structure⿰扌發
撥Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
發fa1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 撥?

How to say to stir, to move, to distribute, to allocate in Chinese

“to stir, to move, to distribute, to allocate” in Chinese is撥bō

The character 撥 (bō) primarily means 'to stir' or 'to move' in a physical sense, such as stirring a liquid. It can also imply the act of distributing or allocating resources or items. Common contexts for its use include cooking, resource management, and physical movements.

When to use 撥

Be cautious with the tone; 撥 is pronounced with a high-level tone (bō). It is often used in both formal and informal contexts but is particularly relevant in culinary or logistical settings. Common collocations include 撥水 (stir water) and 撥款 (allocate funds).

撥 or something close to it

拨 (bō) vs 摇 (yáo) — use 撥 for stirring or moving substances, while 摇 is specifically for shaking or swaying.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 撥 with similar verbs like 搬 (bān - to carry), leading to sentences like '我撥书' (I stir books), which is incorrect. The correct usage would be '我搬书' (I move books).

Write 撥

撥

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

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Word Family of 撥

Words Containing This Character20
拨bōto dial撥
拨打bōdǎto call撥打
拨款bōkuǎnto allocate funds撥款
拨号to dial a telephone number撥號
划拨to assign劃撥
挑拨tiǎobōto instigate挑撥
拨开to part撥開
土拨鼠groundhog土撥鼠
拨付appropriate sum of money撥付
调拨to allocate調撥
拨乱反正bring order out of chaos撥亂反正
挑拨离间to sow dissension (idiom); to drive a wedge between挑撥離間
拨弄to fiddle with撥弄
点拨to give advice點撥
撩拨to provoke撩撥
拨云见日lit. to dispel the clouds and see the sun (idiom); fig. to restore justice撥雲見日
拨浪鼓rattle-drum撥浪鼓
拨冗to find time to do sth in the midst of pressing affairs撥冗
拨动to stir撥動
拨火棍poker撥火棍
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 拨 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 撥

You can say '我需要撥水煮面' (I need to stir water to cook the noodles).

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