伴 (bàn) is a Chinese character meaning “companion”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 半 (half), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “companion”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
亻 + 半
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 伴，大皃。从人半聲（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 核验：左「亻」2 笔 + 右「半」5 笔 = 7 笔）
Memory aid
A person (亻) standing beside your other half (半) — the one who keeps you company.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 伙伴huǒ bànpartner; companion伴 = bàn
- 陪伴péi bànto accompany; to keep someone company伴 = bàn
- 伴侣bàn lǚlife partner; companion伴 = bàn
Go deeper
All readings
companion
companion; partner; to accompany; to keep company
同伴、伙伴；也指陪同、跟随在一起。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 伙伴huǒ bànpartner; companion伴 = bàn
- 陪伴péi bànto accompany; to keep someone company伴 = bàn
- 伴侣bàn lǚlife partner; companion伴 = bàn
Sound component
半 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 伴 mean?
伴 (bàn) means companion; partner; to accompany; to keep company.
How do you pronounce 伴?
It is pronounced bàn.
What parts is 伴 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 半 (half), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 伴，大皃。从人半聲（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 核验：左「亻」2 笔 + 右「半」5 笔 = 7 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 伴 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 伴?
人. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 伴?
Common ones are 伙伴 and 陪伴. The reading of 伴 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.