拌 (bàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to mix”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 半 (half), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to mix; to stir”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 半
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 拌，弃也。从手半聲（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：扌 3 画 + 半 5 画 = 8 画）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) turning one half (半) into the other half — that is what mixing is.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 搅拌jiǎo bànto stir; to mix拌 = bàn
- 凉拌liáng bànto dress a cold dish; to serve cold with seasoning拌 = bàn
Go deeper
All readings
to mix; to stir
to mix; to stir; to blend ingredients together
把不同的东西翻动、调和在一起，使均匀混合。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 搅拌jiǎo bànto stir; to mix拌 = bàn
- 凉拌liáng bànto dress a cold dish; to serve cold with seasoning拌 = bàn
Sound component
半 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 拌 mean?
拌 (bàn) means to mix; to stir; to blend ingredients together.
How do you pronounce 拌?
It is pronounced bàn.
What parts is 拌 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 半 (half), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 拌，弃也。从手半聲（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：扌 3 画 + 半 5 画 = 8 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 拌 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 拌?
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 拌?
Common ones are 搅拌 and 凉拌. The reading of 拌 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.