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March 24, 2026
拨(撥)bō(bo1)
The character 拨 (bō) primarily means 'to push aside' or 'to dial', often referring to using a hand, foot, or stick to move something. It is commonly used in contexts such as dialing a telephone number or allocating resources, and it carries a sense of active engagement with an object or situation.
Strokes8Radical扌Frequency#2584DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In modern Chinese society, dialing (拨) someone's phone number signifies connection, both personally and professionally, reflecting the importance of communication in daily life.
Memory Tip
Imagine using your hand (the radical 扌) to '拨' (bō) the phone, pushing aside distractions to make a call. The '拨' character visually resembles a hand reaching out to push or dial, making it easier to remember its meaning.
Meanings of 拨
bō(bo1)
1to push aside with the hand, foot, a stick etc
2to dial
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 拨
拨Simplified
撥Traditional
8Strokes
扌Radical
量词liàngcímeasure word (mw.)Part of Speech
#2584Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5BCT✓CEFRC2
Podcast: 拨
Podcast: 拨
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AI Study Notes for 拨
Quick Contrast
拨 (bō) vs 推 (tuī): Use 拨 when referring specifically to dialing or pushing aside with a sense of engagement, while 推 is more general for pushing without that specific context.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine using your hand (the radical 扌) to '拨' (bō) the phone, pushing aside distractions to make a call. The '拨' character visually resembles a hand reaching out to push or dial, making it easier to remember its meaning.
Usage Notes
When using 拨, be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like 拜 (bài), which means 'to worship'. It is generally used in both formal and informal contexts but is more common in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 拨打 (bō dǎ - to dial) and 拨款 (bō kuǎn - to allocate funds).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 6 word, 拨 connects with other verbs that involve action and movement, such as 推 (tuī - to push) and 拉 (lā - to pull). Students should focus on its various meanings and contexts, especially in terms of resource allocation and technology.
Cultural Note
In modern Chinese society, dialing (拨) someone's phone number signifies connection, both personally and professionally, reflecting the importance of communication in daily life.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 拨 with 拜 (bài), leading to incorrect phrases like 拜打 (bài dǎ) instead of 拨打 (bō dǎ). Remember that 拨 specifically involves pushing or dialing, while 拜 relates to worship.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 拨
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Grammar Patterns of 拨
拨 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 9 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
Complete the Sentence
只需____这个号码告诉我们你在什么地方。
Simply dial the number and tell us your area.
Example Sentences for 拨 (10)
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1
只需拨这个号码告诉我们你在什么地方。
zhī xū bō zhè gè hào mǎ gào sù wǒ mén nǐ zài shí mó dì fāng。
Simply dial the number and tell us your area.
2
拨打09064748000，为你最喜爱的歌投上一票。
bō dǎ09064748000， 09064748000， wéi nǐ zuì xǐ ài de gē tóu shàng yī。
Vote for your fave song by dialing 0906 474
3
教育部为这所新学校划拨了600万英镑的专款。
jiào yù bù wéi zhè suǒ xīn xué xiào huá bō le600 600 wàn yīng bàng de zhuān。
The education department has earmarked £6m for the new school.
4
轻松捞取利润的可能性吸引了一拨不良商人。
qīng sōng lāo qǔ lì rùn de kě néng xìng xī yǐn le yī bō bù liáng shāng rén。
The prospect of easy profits has attracted the wrong kind of businessman.
5
西蒙拨完号，把听筒贴在耳边。
xī mēng bō wán hào， ， bǎ tīng tǒng tiē zài ěr。
Simon finished dialing and clamped the phone to his ear.
6
我开始觉得托比在挑拨我们之间的关系。
wǒ kāi shǐ jué dé tuō bǐ zài tiāo bō wǒ mén zhī jiān de guān xì。
I started to feel Toby was driving a wedge between us.
7
援助款到明年才会下拨。
yuán zhù kuǎn dào míng nián cái huì xià bō。
The aid will not be disbursed until next year.
8
她用手杖尖翻拨挪动东西。
tā yòng shǒu zhàng jiān fān bō nuó dòng dōng xī。
She poked and shifted things with the tip of her walking stick.
9
她赢得了一笔拨款，用以扩展自己的企业。
tā yíng dé le yī bǐ bō kuǎn， ， yòng yǐ kuò zhǎn zì jǐ de qǐ。
She won a grant to develop her own business.
10
布赖恩把手插进口袋里，把几枚硬币拨弄得叮当作响。
bù lài ēn bǎ shǒu chā jìn kǒu dài lǐ， ， bǎ jī méi yìng bì bō nòng dé dīng dāng zuò。
Brian put his hands in his pockets and jingled some change.
Cultural Notes for 拨
🏮Cultural insight
In modern Chinese society, dialing (拨) someone's phone number signifies connection, both personally and professionally, reflecting the importance of communication in daily life.
Word Family of 拨
Words Containing This Character20
拨bōto dial撥
拨打bōdǎto call撥打
拨款bōkuǎnto allocate funds撥款
拨号to dial a telephone number撥號
划拨to assign劃撥
挑拨tiǎobōto instigate挑撥
拨开to part撥開
土拨鼠groundhog土撥鼠
拨付appropriate sum of money撥付
调拨to allocate調撥
拨乱反正bring order out of chaos撥亂反正
挑拨离间to sow dissension (idiom); to drive a wedge between挑撥離間
拨弄to fiddle with撥弄
点拨to give advice點撥
撩拨to provoke撩撥
拨云见日lit. to dispel the clouds and see the sun (idiom); fig. to restore justice撥雲見日
拨浪鼓rattle-drum撥浪鼓
拨冗to find time to do sth in the midst of pressing affairs撥冗
拨动to stir撥動
拨火棍poker撥火棍
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 拨 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 拨
Common phrases include 拨打电话 (bō dǎ diànhuà - to dial a phone number) and 拨款 (bō kuǎn - to allocate funds).
Yes, 拨 can be used in both formal and informal contexts, especially when discussing resource allocation.
No, while it is commonly used for dialing, 拨 also means to push aside or allocate resources.
