How to Write 爸 (bà) — Meaning “Dad”

Imagine a dad (父) who loves to say 'ba' (巴) to his child – the sound 'ba' reminds you of the bottom part 巴. Another trick: think of the top radical 父 like a person with arms open, and the bottom 巴 like a small child saying 'ba' for dad.

Write the top radical 父 first: left-falling stroke, dot, another left-falling stroke, then right-falling stroke. Then write 巴: horizontal bend, vertical stroke, horizontal, vertical hook. A common mistake is making the last vertical hook of 巴 too short or curving it incorrectly; keep it a smooth downward hook. Ensure the top radical is slightly wider than the bottom part.

爸 (bà) means 'dad' in standard modern Chinese, while 爷 (yé) means 'grandfather' or 'old man', and 爹 (diē) is a more regional or informal word for 'dad'. Visually, 爸 has 巴 at the bottom, 爷 has 卩 (a seal-like component), and 爹 has 多 (many) below. In usage, 爸 is the most common and neutral term, 爹 is used in some dialects or older speech, and 爷 is for grandfather.

爸 is used every day to refer to one's father, often repeated as 爸爸 for a more affectionate tone, like saying 'dad' or 'daddy'. It also appears in common words like 老爸 (lǎo bà, 'old dad' – a casual, loving term) and 爸妈 (bà mā, 'mom and dad'). In Chinese culture, calling your father 爸 is standard and shows respect, while using 爸爸 can feel warmer and more childlike.

Common words containing 爸 include: 爸爸 (bà bà) — Dad; 老爸 (lǎo bà) — Dad; 爸妈 (bà mā) — Mom and Dad.