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魃 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
魃bádrought demonx, 14 strokes, radical 鬼
bá(ba2) T2
  1. 1drought demon
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

魃bá(ba2)

The character 魃 (bá) refers to a mythological creature associated with drought, often depicted as a demon that brings dry weather and affects agricultural productivity. This term is primarily used in literary and cultural contexts, reflecting ancient beliefs about nature and its deities.

Strokes14Radical鬼
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the character 魃 embodies the historical fears surrounding drought and its impact on society, often linked with rituals to appease nature spirits during dry seasons.

Memory Tip

Imagine a demon (魃) with a dry, cracked earth surrounding it. The '魃' has a mouth that resembles a vast drought, and when you say 'bá', think of the sound of the wind blowing over a parched landscape, emphasizing its connection to drought.

Meanings of 魃

bá(ba2)
1drought demon
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 魃

魃Simplified
14Strokes
鬼Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 魃

JasonAmy

Podcast: 魃

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 魃

Usage Notes

This term is quite formal and is rarely used in everyday conversation. It may appear in literature or discussions about mythology and climate. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding terms that have different meanings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 魃 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enrich your knowledge of Chinese mythology and cultural references. Focus on recognizing it in texts and pairing it with other words related to weather and agriculture.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 魃 with similar characters related to weather, such as 雨 (yǔ, rain). An incorrect example would be using 魃 to mean 'rainy weather'; the correct term for rain is 雨.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 魃

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Etymology of 魃

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

demon

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 魃

  1. 1The meaning half鬼 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half犮 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaydemon
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 魃? 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 魃?

Decomposition of 魃

IDS Structure⿺鬼犮
魃Full Character
=
鬼gui3
enclosing
犮ba2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 魃?

How to say drought demon in Chinese

“drought demon” in Chinese is魃bá

The character 魃 (bá) refers to a mythological creature associated with drought, often depicted as a demon that brings dry weather and affects agricultural productivity. This term is primarily used in literary and cultural contexts, reflecting ancient beliefs about nature and its deities.

When to use 魃

This term is quite formal and is rarely used in everyday conversation. It may appear in literature or discussions about mythology and climate. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding terms that have different meanings.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 魃 with similar characters related to weather, such as 雨 (yǔ, rain). An incorrect example would be using 魃 to mean 'rainy weather'; the correct term for rain is 雨.

Write 魃

魃

Practice writing 魃 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 魃

Words Containing This Character1
魃bádrought demon
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 魃 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 魃

It represents a drought demon that is said to cause dry weather.

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