把 (bǎ) is a Chinese character meaning “to hold”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 巴 (to cling to; (transliteration syllable ba)), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to hold; to take hold of”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 巴
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字（把，握也。从手巴聲）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) next to something that clings (巴) — 把 is the hand taking hold and not letting go.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 把握bǎ wòto grasp; to seize (an opportunity); assurance; certainty把 = bǎ
- 火把huǒ bǎtorch把 = bǎspoken ashuó bǎ
- 把柄bǎ bǐnghandle (of a tool); something that can be used against someone把 = bǎspoken asbá bǐng
Go deeper
All readings
to hold; to take hold of
to hold; to grasp; to take hold of; a handle; also the grammatical particle that moves the object in front of the verb, and a measure word for handfuls and things you hold
用手握住、拿住；也作介词，把宾语提到动词前面；还用作量词（一把刀、一把米）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 把握bǎ wòto grasp; to seize (an opportunity); assurance; certainty把 = bǎ
- 火把huǒ bǎtorch把 = bǎspoken ashuó bǎ
- 把柄bǎ bǐnghandle (of a tool); something that can be used against someone把 = bǎspoken asbá bǐng
Rare readings, not taught: bà
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 把 mean?
把 (bǎ) means to hold; to grasp; to take hold of; a handle; also the grammatical particle that moves the object in front of the verb, and a measure word for handfuls and things you hold.
How do you pronounce 把?
It is pronounced bǎ.
What parts is 把 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 巴 (to cling to; (transliteration syllable ba)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字（把，握也。从手巴聲）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 把 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 把?
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 把?
Common ones are 把握 and 火把. The reading of 把 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.