部 (bù) is a Chinese character meaning “part”. It is written from 咅 (pǒu — a sound component (立 over 口), heard in 倍, 陪, 部) and 阝 (left form: mound (阜); right form: city or settlement (邑)), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “part; section”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
咅 + 阝
Left–right structure
- 咅 pǒu — a sound component (立 over 口), heard in 倍, 陪, 部 · pǒu sound
- 阝 left form: mound (阜); right form: city or settlement (邑) · fù meaning
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿰咅阝；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验：第 1–8 笔属 咅，第 9–10 笔属 阝；说文解字：部，天水狄部。从邑，咅声
Memory aid
The 咅 stack sits beside the city-wall ear 阝 — a town divided into its parts and sections. Both parts are really in this character: 部 means "part; section". This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 全部quán bùall; whole; entire部 = bù
- 部门bù méndepartment; branch; section部 = bù
- 俱乐部jù lè bùclub (social or sports club)部 = bù
- 肺部fèi bùthe lungs; the pulmonary area部 = bù
- 胸部xiōng bùchest; thorax部 = bù
- 颈部jǐng bùneck (area of the body)部 = bù
Go deeper
All readings
part; section; department
part; section; department; ministry; (measure word for films, books, machines)
部分，全体中的一份；也指机关或企业中按业务划分的单位。可作量词，用于书籍、影片、机器等。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 全部quán bùall; whole; entire部 = bù
- 部门bù méndepartment; branch; section部 = bù
- 俱乐部jù lè bùclub (social or sports club)部 = bù
- 肺部fèi bùthe lungs; the pulmonary area部 = bù
- 胸部xiōng bùchest; thorax部 = bù
- 颈部jǐng bùneck (area of the body)部 = bù
Sound component
咅 family
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 部 mean?
部 (bù) means part; section; department; ministry; (measure word for films, books, machines).
How do you pronounce 部?
It is pronounced bù.
What parts is 部 made of?
咅 (pǒu — a sound component (立 over 口), heard in 倍, 陪, 部) and 阝 (left form: mound (阜); right form: city or settlement (邑)), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿰咅阝；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验：第 1–8 笔属 咅，第 9–10 笔属 阝；说文解字：部，天水狄部。从邑，咅声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 部 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 部?
阝. 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 部?
Common ones are 全部 and 部门. The reading of 部 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.