啪 (pā) is a Chinese character meaning “onomatopoeia for a sharp sound such as a slap, a clap, a”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 拍 (to pat; to clap), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “(onomatopoeia) bang; slap; pop”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 拍
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿰口拍；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「口」（3 笔），笔画 3–10 为「拍」（8 笔），合计 11 笔
Memory aid
A mouth (口) beside 拍 (pāi, to slap): 拍 lends the sound, 口 marks it as a noise — the sharp "pa!" of a slap.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 噼啪pī pā(onomatopoeia) crack; crackle; snap啪 = pā
- 啪嗒pā dā(onomatopoeia) clack; click; pitter-patter啪 = pā
Go deeper
All readings
(onomatopoeia) bang; slap; pop
onomatopoeia for a sharp sound such as a slap, a clap, a gunshot or something snapping
象声词，形容拍打、枪声、东西断裂等短促清脆的声音。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 噼啪pī pā(onomatopoeia) crack; crackle; snap啪 = pā
- 啪嗒pā dā(onomatopoeia) clack; click; pitter-patter啪 = pā
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 啪 mean?
啪 (pā) means onomatopoeia for a sharp sound such as a slap, a clap, a gunshot or something snapping.
How do you pronounce 啪?
It is pronounced pā.
What parts is 啪 made of?
口 (mouth) and 拍 (to pat; to clap), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿰口拍；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「口」（3 笔），笔画 3–10 为「拍」（8 笔），合计 11 笔. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 啪 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 啪?
口. 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 啪?
Common ones are 噼啪 and 啪嗒. The reading of 啪 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.