How to Write 捌 (bā) — Meaning “eight (formal)”

Imagine your hand (扌) holding eight separate (别) objects — this connects the 'hand' radical to the idea of 'eight' in a formal way. You can also think of the right part 别 as 'other' and remember that this is the 'other' or fancy way to write eight.

Pay attention to the right side 别: the top part is 口 (mouth) and below it is 力 (strength), but make sure the 口 is narrow and the 力 is balanced. A common mistake is writing the 扌 stroke too long — keep the vertical hook short so the right side has enough space. The total stroke count is 10, so write step by step.

捌 (bā) means eight (formal) and is used in financial documents, while 㧜 (no common use) and 抨 (pēng, meaning 'to attack' or 'to criticize') have completely different meanings. Visually, 㧜 has a different right component and 抨 has a 平 (píng) on the right, so focus on the right part 别 to identify 捌.

Use 捌 in formal contexts like writing checks, banknotes, or legal documents to prevent forgery — for example, on a receipt you write 捌圆 instead of 八圆. It is also used in formal month names like 捌月 (August) for official records, though most people use 八月 in daily life.

Common words containing 捌 include: 捌万 (bā wàn) — eighty thousand (formal); 捌圆 (bā yuán) — eight yuan (formal); 捌月 (bā yuè) — August (formal).