How to Write 八 (bā) — Meaning “Eight”

Imagine a person standing with their arms and legs spread apart, like they are showing the number eight with their body. The two strokes of 八 look like two open chopsticks, and you can pretend they are picking up eight dumplings. This visual trick makes the character easy to recall.

First write the left-falling stroke (丿), then the right-falling stroke (捺) that curves outward. The left stroke should be slightly shorter, and the two strokes must not cross; they should start close together at the top and gradually separate. A common mistake is making the strokes too vertical—keep them slanted like an open pair of legs.

八 stands alone as two strokes, while 公 has the same top shape but adds a bottom part (厶) meaning 'private'. 六 looks like 八 with a dot and a horizontal line above it, so it has a 'hat' on top. Also, their meanings are different: 八 means eight, 公 means public, and 六 means six.

八 is used in numbers, dates, and times, such as 八月 (August), 八个 (eight items), and 八点 (eight o'clock). In Chinese culture, the number eight is considered very lucky because it sounds like 发 (fā), meaning 'to prosper'. That is why many people want the number eight in phone numbers and license plates.

Common words containing 八 include: 八月 (bā yuè) — August; 八个 (bā gè) — Eight (of something); 八点 (bā diǎn) — Eight o'clock.