柄 (bǐng) is a Chinese character meaning “the handle or grip of a tool or object”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 丙 (third of the ten Heavenly Stems; grade C), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “handle — the wooden part you hold”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 丙
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：木 4 画 + 丙 5 画 = 9 画；右侧 丙 bǐng 与本字读音一致，作声符）
Memory aid
木 on the left is wood — the part of a tool you actually grip is the wooden shaft. 丙 on the right is there for the sound: it is read bǐng, exactly like this character. Wood you can hold: a handle.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 把柄bǎ bǐnghandle (of a tool); something that can be used against someone柄 = bǐngspoken asbá bǐng
- 笑柄xiào bǐnglaughingstock; a standing joke柄 = bǐng
Go deeper
All readings
handle
the handle or grip of a tool or object; by extension, something that can be held against someone (as in 把柄, 笑柄)
器物上供手握持的部分；引申为被人抓住的凭据或材料，如「把柄」「笑柄」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 把柄bǎ bǐnghandle (of a tool); something that can be used against someone柄 = bǐngspoken asbá bǐng
- 笑柄xiào bǐnglaughingstock; a standing joke柄 = bǐng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 柄 mean?
柄 (bǐng) means the handle or grip of a tool or object; by extension, something that can be held against someone (as in 把柄, 笑柄).
How do you pronounce 柄?
It is pronounced bǐng.
What parts is 柄 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 丙 (third of the ten Heavenly Stems; grade C), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：木 4 画 + 丙 5 画 = 9 画；右侧 丙 bǐng 与本字读音一致，作声符）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 柄 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 柄?
木. 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 柄?
Common ones are 把柄 and 笑柄. The reading of 柄 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.