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菝 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
菝báSmilax chinax, 11 strokes, radical 艹
bá(ba2) T2
  1. 1Smilax china
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

菝bá(ba2)

The character 菝 (bá) refers to Smilax china, a type of plant commonly found in China known for its medicinal properties. It is often used in traditional Chinese medicine and can be found in herbal remedies. This character may not be frequently encountered outside of specialized contexts like botany or herbal medicine.

Strokes11Radical艹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, Smilax china is valued for its health benefits and is often included in traditional herbal remedies, reflecting the deep-rooted belief in the healing properties of plants.

Memory Tip

Imagine a lush garden where the 菝 plant grows tall and strong. The character itself has a 'plant' radical (艹) at the top, suggesting it's related to vegetation, while '巴' sounds like 'ba,' which you can remember as 'bark'—a part of a tree. Together, visualize a tree with bark supporting the climbing Smilax china.

Meanings of 菝

bá(ba2)
1Smilax china
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 菝

菝Simplified
11Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 菝

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Podcast: 菝

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AI Study Notes for 菝

Usage Notes

菝 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, so it may appear more in written texts or discussions about herbal medicine. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words. It is best used in a formal context, especially in scientific or medical discussions.

HSK Study Tips

As 菝 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, learners should focus on plant-related vocabulary and traditional medicine terms to understand its context better. Connecting this character to others in the botanical field will enhance comprehension.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 菝 with other plant-related words. For example, using 菝 when they mean 'flower' (花, huā) is incorrect; remember that 菝 specifically refers to a type of plant.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 菝

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Etymology of 菝

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

plant

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 菝

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half拔 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayplant
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 菝? 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 菝?

Decomposition of 菝

IDS Structure⿱艹拔
菝Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
拔ba2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 菝?

How to say Smilax china in Chinese

“Smilax china” in Chinese is菝bá

The character 菝 (bá) refers to Smilax china, a type of plant commonly found in China known for its medicinal properties. It is often used in traditional Chinese medicine and can be found in herbal remedies. This character may not be frequently encountered outside of specialized contexts like botany or herbal medicine.

When to use 菝

菝 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, so it may appear more in written texts or discussions about herbal medicine. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words. It is best used in a formal context, especially in scientific or medical discussions.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 菝 with other plant-related words. For example, using 菝 when they mean 'flower' (花, huā) is incorrect; remember that 菝 specifically refers to a type of plant.

Write 菝

菝

Practice writing 菝 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 菝

Words Containing This Character1
菝básmilax china
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 菝 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 菝

菝 refers to the plant Smilax china, known for its use in traditional Chinese medicine.

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