叛 (pàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to betray”. It is written from 半 (half) and 反 (reverse; opposite; to turn over), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to betray”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
半 + 反
Left–right structure
Structure from: 《说文解字》半部：「叛，半也。从半，反声。」；现代字形 IDS ⿰半反，与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数 5+4=9 核验一致
Memory aid
Half (半) of the army turns around (反) and walks back the other way. Half of your own side, facing you — that is a revolt.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 背叛bèi pànto betray叛 = pàn
- 叛逆pàn nìrebellious; a rebel叛 = pàn
Go deeper
All readings
to betray
to betray; to rebel; to revolt against the side one belongs to
背离自己原属的一方；反抗、叛乱。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 背叛bèi pànto betray叛 = pàn
- 叛逆pàn nìrebellious; a rebel叛 = pàn
Origin
The Shuowen Jiezi (c. 100 CE) analyses 叛 as 从半，反声 — 半 "half" on the left carries the meaning of splitting away from the side you belonged to, and 反 on the right was there for the sound.
Source: 《说文解字》半部：「叛，半也。从半，反声。」
Sound component
反 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 叛 mean?
叛 (pàn) means to betray; to rebel; to revolt against the side one belongs to.
How do you pronounce 叛?
It is pronounced pàn.
What parts is 叛 made of?
半 (half) and 反 (reverse; opposite; to turn over), side by side. The recorded source is: 《说文解字》半部：「叛，半也。从半，反声。」；现代字形 IDS ⿰半反，与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数 5+4=9 核验一致. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 叛 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 叛?
又. 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 叛?
Common ones are 背叛 and 叛逆. The reading of 叛 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.