爸 (bà) is a Chinese character meaning “dad”. It is written from 父 (father) and 巴 (to cling to; (transliteration syllable ba)), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “dad”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
父 + 巴
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: cjkvi-ids ⿱父巴（已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺核验）；形声：从父，巴声
Memory aid
The top part, 父 (fù, father), tells you what this character means. The bottom part, 巴 (bā), is not about meaning at all — it is carrying the sound: bā → bà. Both parts are really in the character; only their jobs differ.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 爸爸bà badad; father爸 = bàHSK 1
- 爸妈bà māmom and dad; parents爸 = bàHSK 1
Go deeper
All readings
dad
dad; papa; father (informal)
父亲的口语称呼。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 爸爸bà badad; father爸 = bàHSK 1
- 爸妈bà māmom and dad; parents爸 = bàHSK 1
Sound component
巴 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 爸 mean?
爸 (bà) means dad; papa; father (informal).
How do you pronounce 爸?
It is pronounced bà.
What parts is 爸 made of?
父 (father) and 巴 (to cling to; (transliteration syllable ba)), one above the other. The recorded source is: cjkvi-ids ⿱父巴（已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺核验）；形声：从父，巴声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 爸 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 爸?
父. 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 爸?
Common ones are 爸爸 and 爸妈. The reading of 爸 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.