判 (pàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to judge”. It is written from 半 (half) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to judge”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
半 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·刀部：判，分也。从刀半聲。并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–4 为「半」，笔画 5–6 为右侧「刂」，合计 7 画。
Memory aid
A knife (刂) brings down onto 半 (half): to judge a case is to cut it cleanly into two sides and say which is which.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 判断pàn duànto judge; to determine; judgement判 = pàn
- 判决pàn juécourt verdict; to sentence; to rule判 = pàn
- 审判shěn pànto try (a case); to put on trial; trial判 = pàn
- 裁判cái pànreferee; umpire; to judge判 = pàn
- 谈判tán pànto negotiate; negotiations判 = pàn
Go deeper
All readings
to judge
to judge; to decide; to sentence; to tell apart; clearly distinct
分开、辨别；也指司法上作出裁决。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 判断pàn duànto judge; to determine; judgement判 = pàn
- 判决pàn juécourt verdict; to sentence; to rule判 = pàn
- 审判shěn pànto try (a case); to put on trial; trial判 = pàn
- 裁判cái pànreferee; umpire; to judge判 = pàn
- 谈判tán pànto negotiate; negotiations判 = pàn
Sound component
半 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 判 mean?
判 (pàn) means to judge; to decide; to sentence; to tell apart; clearly distinct.
How do you pronounce 判?
It is pronounced pàn.
What parts is 判 made of?
半 (half) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·刀部：判，分也。从刀半聲。并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–4 为「半」，笔画 5–6 为右侧「刂」，合计 7 画。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 判 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 判?
刀. 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 判?
Common ones are 判断 and 判决. The reading of 判 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.