拜 (bài) is a Chinese character meaning “to bow or pay formal respect”. It is written from ㇒ (left-falling stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇓ (vertical-then-left-falling stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke), and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to pay respect; to bow”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
㇒ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇓ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇑
Overlapping structure
- ㇒ left-falling stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇓ vertical-then-left-falling stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇑ vertical stroke unknown
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形笔画拆分：第 1 笔撇，第 2、3、5、6、7、8 笔横，第 4 笔竖撇，第 9 笔竖）
Memory aid
Read it as two hands held side by side, built only from bars and posts. On the left a short slant (㇒) caps two flat bars (㇐), and one long falling post (㇓) drives straight down through them. On the right four more bars (㇐) stack up, pinned together by a single upright (㇑). Two hands raised together — that is a bow.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 拜托bài tuōplease (do me a favor); to ask a favor of someone拜 = bài
- 拜年bài niánto pay a New Year call; to wish someone a happy New Year拜 = bài
- 崇拜chóng bàito worship; to adore拜 = bài
- 祭拜jì bàito worship; to pay respects to (ancestors or the dead)拜 = bài
Go deeper
All readings
to pay respect; to bow
to bow or pay formal respect; to pay a courtesy call; used politely when asking a favor
行礼表示敬意；恭敬地看望或祝贺。也用在请人帮忙的客气话里。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 拜托bài tuōplease (do me a favor); to ask a favor of someone拜 = bài
- 拜年bài niánto pay a New Year call; to wish someone a happy New Year拜 = bài
- 崇拜chóng bàito worship; to adore拜 = bài
- 祭拜jì bàito worship; to pay respects to (ancestors or the dead)拜 = bài
Other characters with these parts
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 拜 mean?
拜 (bài) means to bow or pay formal respect; to pay a courtesy call; used politely when asking a favor.
How do you pronounce 拜?
It is pronounced bài.
What parts is 拜 made of?
㇒ (left-falling stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇓ (vertical-then-left-falling stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke). The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形笔画拆分：第 1 笔撇，第 2、3、5、6、7、8 笔横，第 4 笔竖撇，第 9 笔竖）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 拜 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 拜?
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 拜?
Common ones are 拜托 and 拜年. The reading of 拜 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.