Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
灞 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
灞bàa river in Shanxi provincex, 24 strokes, radical 氵
灞bàname of a riverunknown, 24 strokes, radical 氵
bà(Ba4) T4
  1. 1a river in Shanxi province
  2. 2name of a river
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

灞bà(Ba4)

The character 灞 (bà) refers to a specific river located in Shanxi province, China. It is primarily used in geographical contexts and might also be encountered in names of places or historical references related to the river.

Strokes24Radical氵
Cultural Note

The 灞 River holds significance in local culture and history, often associated with poetry and literature that celebrates the beauty of nature in Shanxi province.

Memory Tip

Imagine a river (represented by the character's structure) flowing through the sunny landscape of Shanxi. The '火' radical suggests warmth and vitality, reminding you of the lively waters of the 灞 River.

Meanings of 灞

bà(Ba4)
1a river in Shanxi province
2name of a river
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 灞

灞Simplified
24Strokes
氵Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 灞

JasonAmy

Podcast: 灞

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 灞

Usage Notes

This character is mainly used in formal contexts related to geography. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters; 灞 is not commonly used in everyday conversation. It is important to use the correct tones to avoid miscommunication.

HSK Study Tips

While 灞 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, understanding its context can enhance your geographical vocabulary. Connect it with other place names you learn at this level to build a stronger sense of Chinese geography.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 灞 with similar characters like 霸 (bà), which means 'dominant' or 'tyrant'. Make sure to remember that 灞 specifically refers to a river, not a personality trait.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 灞

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 灞 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 灞

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

water

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 灞

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half霸 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 灞? 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 灞?

Decomposition of 灞

IDS Structure⿰氵霸
灞Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
霸ba4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 灞?

How to say a river in Shanxi province in Chinese

“a river in Shanxi province” in Chinese is灞bà

The character 灞 (bà) refers to a specific river located in Shanxi province, China. It is primarily used in geographical contexts and might also be encountered in names of places or historical references related to the river.

When to use 灞

This character is mainly used in formal contexts related to geography. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters; 灞 is not commonly used in everyday conversation. It is important to use the correct tones to avoid miscommunication.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 灞 with similar characters like 霸 (bà), which means 'dominant' or 'tyrant'. Make sure to remember that 灞 specifically refers to a river, not a personality trait.

Write 灞

灞

Practice writing 灞 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 灞

Words Containing This Character3
灞bàname of a river
灞桥Baqiao District of Xi’an 西安市[Xī​'ān​Shì], Shaanxi灞橋
灞桥区Baqiao District of Xi’an 西安市[Xī​'ān​Shì], Shaanxi灞橋區
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 灞 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 灞

It refers to a river in Shanxi province, often encountered in geographical contexts.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 灞?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.