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坝 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
坝
bà
dam
HSK 7, n, 7 strokes, radical 土, rank #31754, Very Hard
坝
bà
dike
HSK 7, n, 7 strokes, radical 土, rank #31754, Very Hard
坝
bà
embankment
HSK 7, n, 7 strokes, radical 土, rank #31754, Very Hard
bà(ba4)ba T4
1dam
2dike
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March 24, 2026
坝(壩)bà(ba4)
The character 坝 (bà) refers to a dam or embankment, structures built to hold back water or protect land from flooding. It is commonly used in discussions related to water management, agriculture, and civil engineering.
Strokes7Radical土Frequency#31754DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the construction of dams has historical significance for flood control and irrigation. Famous examples include the Three Gorges Dam, which is a symbol of modern engineering in China.
Memory tip
Imagine a big 'bat' (sounds like 'bà') flying over a 'dam' (坝) made of mud, holding back a lake. The character is made up of the radical 土 (earth) at the bottom, emphasizing its connection to land and construction.
Meanings of 坝
bà(ba4)
1dam
2dike
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 坝 means.
About 坝
坝Simplified
壩Traditional
7Strokes
土Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#31754Frequency Rank
条Measure Word
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 坝
Podcast: 坝
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AI study notes for 坝
Quick Contrast
堤 (dī) refers specifically to a levee or dike, which is a type of embankment designed to prevent flooding, while 坝 (bà) generally refers to a dam that holds back water.
Usage Notes
Be aware that 坝 is often used in technical or formal contexts, such as engineering discussions. A common mistake is to confuse it with other similar terms like 堤 (dī), which specifically refers to a levee. The correct collocation is '水坝' (shuǐ bà), meaning water dam.
HSK Study Tips
Although 坝 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects to related terms at HSK Level 3, such as '水' (water) and '土' (earth). Focus on understanding the context in which 坝 is used to better grasp its applications in sentences.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 坝 with the similar-sounding word 拔 (bá), which means to pull out. Remember, 坝 is related to structures like dams while 拔 relates to actions.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 坝
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Example
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坝 = 土 + 贝. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 坝
IDS Structure⿰土贝
坝Full character
=
土Tu3
left
贝Bei4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 坝?
How to say dam in Chinese
“dam” in Chinese is坝bà
The character 坝 (bà) refers to a dam or embankment, structures built to hold back water or protect land from flooding. It is commonly used in discussions related to water management, agriculture, and civil engineering.
When to use 坝
Be aware that 坝 is often used in technical or formal contexts, such as engineering discussions. A common mistake is to confuse it with other similar terms like 堤 (dī), which specifically refers to a levee. The correct collocation is '水坝' (shuǐ bà), meaning water dam.
坝 or something close to it
堤 (dī) refers specifically to a levee or dike, which is a type of embankment designed to prevent flooding, while 坝 (bà) generally refers to a dam that holds back water.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 坝 with the similar-sounding word 拔 (bá), which means to pull out. Remember, 坝 is related to structures like dams while 拔 relates to actions.
Write 坝
坝
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Practice writing 坝 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 坝
坝 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 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
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
从山上冲刷下来的泥土就要让水电大____淤塞了。
The soil washed from the hills is silting up the hydroelectric dams.
The soil washed from the hills is silting up the hydroelectric dams.
2
一道拦河坝将会在上游拦住水流，抬升水位。
yídào lán hé bà jiāng huì zài shàngyóu lán zhù shuǐliú， tái shēng shuǐ wèi。
A barrage would halt the flow upstream and lift the water level.
3
坝高50米.
bà gāo50 mǐ.
The dam is 50 metres in height.
4
我举双手赞成拦河筑坝.
wǒ jǔ shuāngshǒu zànchéng lán hé zhù bà.
I'll raise both hands in favour of damming the river.
5
我举双手赞成拦河筑坝。
wǒ jǔ shuāngshǒu zànchéng lán hé zhù bà。
I'll raise both hands in favor of damming the river.
6
那儿,我们看见一座巨型拦湖大坝.
nàr, wǒmen kànjiàn yī zuò jùxíng lán hú dà bà.
There we saw a huge dam backing up the lake.
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Word Family of 坝
Words containing this character20
坝bàdam壩
大坝dàbàdam大壩
水坝shuǐbàdam水壩
堤坝dībàdam堤壩
葛洲坝gézhōubàname of a place, Gezhouba Dam on the Changjiang River, in Sichuan葛洲壩
沙坪坝区shāpíngbàqūShapingba district of central Chongqing municipality, formerly in Sichuan沙坪壩區
平坝píngbàPingba county in Anshun 安順|安顺[Anshùn], Guizhou平壩
阿坝ābàalso Ngawa county阿壩
平坝县píngbàxiànPingba county in Anshun 安順|安顺[Anshùn], Guizhou平壩縣
院坝yuànbà(dialect) courtyard院壩
阿坝州ābàzhōuNgawa Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture (Tibetan: rnga ba bod rigs cha'ng rigs rang skyong khul, formerly in Kham province of Tibet), northwest Sichuan, capital Barkam 馬爾康鎮|马尔康镇[Mǎ'ěrkāngzhèn]阿壩州
拦河坝lánhébàa dam across a river攔河壩
土坝tǔbàearth dam土壩
阿坝藏族羌族自治州ābàzàngzúqiāngzúzìzhìzhōuNgawa Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture (Tibetan: rnga ba bod rigs cha'ng rigs rang skyong khul, formerly in Kham province of Tibet), northwest Sichuan, capital Barkam 馬爾康鎮|马尔康镇[Mǎ'ěrkāngzhèn]阿壩藏族羌族自治州
冰坝bīngbàfreezing blockage冰壩
阿坝县ābàxiànNgawa county (Tibetan: rnga ba rdzong) in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture 阿壩藏族羌族自治州|阿坝藏族羌族自治州[AbàZàngzúQiāngzúzìzhìzhōu], northwest Sichuan阿壩縣
留坝liúbàLiuba County in Hanzhong 漢中|汉中[Hànzhōng], Shaanxi留壩
元坝区yuánbàqūYuanba district of Guangyuan city 廣元市|广元市[Guǎngyuánshì], Sichuan元壩區
留坝县liúbàxiànLiuba County in Hanzhong 漢中|汉中[Hànzhōng], Shaanxi留壩縣
边坝biānbàBanbar county, Tibetan: Dpal 'bar rdzong, in Chamdo prefecture 昌都地區|昌都地区[Chāngdūdìqū], Tibet邊壩
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 坝
What does 大坝 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 坝
It is pronounced as 'bà', with a falling tone.
坝 refers to a dam, while 堤 refers to a levee or embankment specifically meant to hold back water.
Yes, but it's more commonly used in technical or formal contexts related to water management.
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