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帮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
帮bāngto helpHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngto assistHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngto supportHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngfor sb (i.e. as a help)HSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bānghired (as worker)HSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngside (of pail, boat etc)HSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngouter layerHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bānggroupHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bānggangHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngcliqueHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngpartyHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngsecret societyHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngto help, to assist; to support, to defend; party; gangHSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngupper (of a shoe)HSK 2, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngold variant of 幫HSK 2, v, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
帮bāngold variant of 幫|帮[bang1]HSK 2, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 巾, rank #136, Easy
bāng(bang1)bang T1
  1. 1to help
  2. 2to assist
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

帮(幇)bāng(bang1)

The character 帮 (bāng) primarily means 'to help' or 'to assist.' It is commonly used in everyday contexts when offering support or aid to someone, such as helping a friend or assisting in a task. Additionally, it can refer to groups or factions, like a gang or party, in more specific contexts.

Strokes9Radical巾Frequency#136DifficultyEasy
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of helping others is deeply rooted in Confucian values, emphasizing community and mutual support. The use of 帮 reflects this cultural importance of relationships and social harmony.

Memory tip

Imagine a friend extending a hand to you, saying 'I can help!' The character 帮 looks like a person with arms outstretched (the top part) ready to assist. The pronunciation 'bāng' sounds like 'bang,' which can remind you of a friendly impact or support.

Meanings of 帮

bāng(bang1)
1to help
2to assist
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 帮 means.

About 帮

帮Simplified
幇Traditional
9Strokes
巾Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#136Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL1YCTL1HSKKL1BCT✓CEFRA1

Podcast: 帮

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Podcast: 帮

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AI study notes for 帮

Quick Contrast

帮 (bāng) vs 协助 (xiézhù) — use 帮 for informal help, while 协助 is more formal or official assistance.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is using 帮 in overly formal contexts, where you might prefer 更正式的 (gèng zhèngshì de) terms like 协助 (xiézhù) for 'assist.' Make sure to use the correct tone; the first tone is important as it changes the meaning entirely. Common collocations include 帮忙 (bāngmáng, to help) and 帮助 (bāngzhù, to assist).

HSK Study Tips

While 帮 is not in the HSK levels, it connects well with basic verbs like 做 (zuò, to do) and 给 (gěi, to give). Focus on practicing phrases that include 帮 to enhance your conversational skills, such as asking for help or offering assistance.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 帮 with the similar-sounding 幫 (bāng) from traditional Chinese, which can lead to misunderstandings in simplified contexts. Remember to use 帮 in modern simplified Chinese.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 帮

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Etymology of 帮

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 巾 represents the meaning and 邦 represents the sound. Simplified form of 幫. The character is based on the original meaning "upper part of a shoe", which is unrelated to the modern meaning.

Memory hint

A nation's 邦 flag 巾; 邦 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 帮?

Decomposition of 帮

IDS Structure⿱邦巾
帮Full character
=
邦bang1
top
巾jin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 帮?

How to say to help in Chinese

“to help” in Chinese is帮bāng

The character 帮 (bāng) primarily means 'to help' or 'to assist.' It is commonly used in everyday contexts when offering support or aid to someone, such as helping a friend or assisting in a task. Additionally, it can refer to groups or factions, like a gang or party, in more specific contexts.

When to use 帮

A common mistake is using 帮 in overly formal contexts, where you might prefer 更正式的 (gèng zhèngshì de) terms like 协助 (xiézhù) for 'assist.' Make sure to use the correct tone; the first tone is important as it changes the meaning entirely. Common collocations include 帮忙 (bāngmáng, to help) and 帮助 (bāngzhù, to assist).

帮 or something close to it

帮 (bāng) vs 协助 (xiézhù) — use 帮 for informal help, while 协助 is more formal or official assistance.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 帮 with the similar-sounding 幫 (bāng) from traditional Chinese, which can lead to misunderstandings in simplified contexts. Remember to use 帮 in modern simplified Chinese.

Write 帮

帮

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar patterns of 帮

帮 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 16 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 2

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

她很愿意____助同学。

She is very willing to help her classmates.

Example sentences for 帮 (15)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
vto help4
1
你可以帮我拿一下那本书吗?

Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ ná yīxià nà běn shū ma?

Can you help me pick up that book?
2
我帮妈妈做晚饭。

Wǒ bāng māma zuò wǎnfàn.

I help my mom make dinner.
3
他总是乐于助人,喜欢帮同学。

Tā zǒngshì lèyú zhùrén, xǐhuān bāng tóngxué.

He is always willing to help and likes to help his classmates.
4
你能帮我看看这个问题吗?

Nǐ néng bāng wǒ kàn kàn zhège wèntí ma?

Can you help me take a look at this problem?
vold variant of 幫11
5
她既然主动提出帮助照看孩子,我也就同意了。

tā jìrán zhǔdòng tíchū bāngzhù zhào kàn háizi, wǒ yě jiù tóngyì le。

Since she'd offered to babysit, I took her up on it.
6
我拒绝接受帮助的时候时常显得粗鲁无礼。

wǒ jùjué jiēshòu bāngzhù de shíhou shícháng xiǎnde cūlǔ wú lǐ。

I was often rude and ungracious in refusing help.
7
我非常渴望能够帮助和照顾他人。

wǒ fēicháng kěwàng nénggòu bāngzhù hé zhàogù tārén。

I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
8
我会帮你弄弄花园,帮你保持它的整洁。

wǒ huì bāng nǐ nòng nòng huāyuán, bāng nǐ bǎochí tā de zhěngjié。

I'll do your garden, I'll keep that tidy for you.
9
你应该为了自己寻求专业人士的帮助。

nǐ yīnggāi wèile zìjǐ xúnqiú zhuānyè rénshì de bāngzhù。

You owe it to yourself to get some professional help.
10
向导程序和模板可以帮助你创建手册、日历和网页。

xiàngdǎo chéngxù hé mó bǎn kěyǐ bāngzhù nǐ chuàngjiàn shǒucè、 rìlì hé wǎngyè。

Wizards and templates can help you create brochures, calendars, and Web pages.
11
你必须输入命令,例如“帮助”或“打印”.

nǐ bìxū shūrù mìnglìng, lìrú“ bāngzhù” huò“ dǎyìn”.

You have to type in commands, such as "help" and "print"
12
你帮不上什么忙,我们中的任何人也都无能为力.

nǐ bāng bù shàng shénme máng, wǒmen zhōng de rènhé rén yě dōu wúnéngwéilì.

There was nothing you could do, nothing any of us could do.
13
当局会派一名义工来帮助你。

dāng jú huì pài yī míngyì gōng lái bāngzhù nǐ。

The Authority will provide a welfare worker to assist you.
14
希拉想帮助斯坦是另有所图的。

xī lā xiǎng bāngzhù Sī tǎn shì lìng yǒusuǒ tú de。

Sheila had an ulterior motive for trying to help Stan.
15
请你帮我把桌子搬到客厅好吗?

Qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ bǎ zhuōzi bān dào kètīng hǎo ma?

Could you help me move the table to the living room?

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Word Family of 帮

Words containing this character20
帮bāngto help幫
帮助bāngzhùaid幫助
帮忙bāngmángto help幫忙
四人帮sìrénbāngGang of Four: Jiang Qing 江青, Zhang Chunqiao 張春橋, Yao Wenyuan 姚文元, Wang Hongwen 王洪文, who served as scapegoats for the excesses of the cultural revolution四人幫
黑帮hēibāngcriminal gang黑幫
帮派bāngpàigang幫派
帮手bāngshouhelper幫手
帮帮忙bāngbangmángto help幫幫忙
帮会bānghuìsecret society幫會
帮凶bāngxiōngaccomplice幫凶
丐帮gàibāngbeggars' union丐幫
匪帮fěibānggang of bandits匪幫
帮教bāngjiàoto mentor幫教
帮子bāngzigang幫子
帮倒忙bāngdàomángto be more of a hindrance than a help幫倒忙
帮工bānggōngcasual laborer幫工
帮办bāngbàndeputy幫辦
马帮mǎbāngcaravan of horses carrying goods馬幫
腮帮子sāibāngzicheek腮幫子
帮腔bāngqiāngto chime in幫腔
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 帮

What does 帮助 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 帮

帮助 (bāngzhù) is a more formal way to say 'to assist' and is often used in written contexts, while 帮 (bāng) is more casual and common in spoken language.

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