批 (pī) is a Chinese character meaning “to comment on”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 比 (to compare; two figures side by side), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to comment on; batch”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 比
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·手部：批，反手擊也。从手比聲。
Memory aid
A hand (扌) working through a pile, comparing (比) item against item — marking each one up. That is what 批 does: go over things in bulk and comment on them.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 批评pī píngto criticize; criticism批 = pīHSK 4
- 大批dà pīa large batch of; a great number of批 = pīHSK 4
- 审批shěn pīto examine and approve (an application)批 = pī
Go deeper
All readings
to comment on; batch
to comment on; to criticize; to mark up (a document); a batch or lot (of goods or people)
在文件上写下意见；指出缺点。也用作量词，表示大量的一群人或一批货物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 批评pī píngto criticize; criticism批 = pīHSK 4
- 大批dà pīa large batch of; a great number of批 = pīHSK 4
- 审批shěn pīto examine and approve (an application)批 = pī
Sound component
比 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 批 mean?
批 (pī) means to comment on; to criticize; to mark up (a document); a batch or lot (of goods or people).
How do you pronounce 批?
It is pronounced pī.
What parts is 批 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 比 (to compare; two figures side by side), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·手部：批，反手擊也。从手比聲。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 批 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 批?
手. 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 批?
Common ones are 批评 and 大批. The reading of 批 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.