How to Write 笆 (bā) — Meaning “Bamboo fence”

Imagine a fence made of bamboo sticks that looks like the letter 'B' from the side, and each stick has a small 'ear' (like 巴) attached to hold them together. The top part 竹 reminds you it's made of bamboo, and the bottom 巴 sounds like 'bar' as in a barricade.

Write the top radical 竹 first: two short left-falling strokes, then two dots, followed by the left vertical and right hook-like stroke. For the bottom 巴, start with the horizontal stroke, then the vertical hook, and finish with the small horizontal at the bottom. A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide; keep 巴 narrow so the character stays balanced.

笆 has the bottom part 巴, which gives the meaning 'fence,' while 竺 (zhú) has the bottom part 二 and is used mostly in names or as an ancient word for bamboo. 竽 (yú) has the bottom part 于 and refers to an ancient musical instrument, not a fence. Visually, 笆 has a clear 'snake-like' bottom stroke in 巴, unlike the straight lines of 竺 and 竽.

笆 appears in common words like 篱笆 (lí bā), which means a fence or hedge made of bamboo or twigs, often seen in rural or garden settings. It is also used in 竹笆 for a bamboo screen and 笆斗 for a basket. In Chinese culture, a 篱笆 symbolizes a simple, natural boundary that protects a home without being as solid as a wall.

Common words containing 笆 include: 篱笆 (lí bā) — fence; 竹笆 (zhú bā) — Bamboo fence; bamboo screen; 笆斗 (bā dǒu) — Bamboo basket scoop.