How to Write 耙 (bà/pá) — Meaning “A rake; a harrow; to rake”

Imagine a farmer using a wooden rake (耒) shaped like the letter 'B' (巴) to smooth the soil. The top part of 巴 looks like the teeth of the rake, and the bottom stroke is the handle you hold.

Start with the left radical 耒: write the horizontal strokes evenly spaced, with the bottom stroke longer. Then add 巴: the first stroke is a horizontal fold, then a vertical, a small horizontal, and finally a vertical hook. Keep the right part slightly smaller than the left to maintain balance.

耙 (bà) specifically means a rake or harrowing tool used to break up soil. 耔 (zǐ) refers to sowing seeds or cultivating young plants, and has a different right component (子). 耕 (gēng) means to plow or till the land, using a stronger tool. Unlike 耙, 耕 does not have the 'tooth' shape (巴) and is more about turning over earth.

耙 is used in farming contexts, especially for the tool called a rake (钉耙) or the action of raking soil (耙地). In traditional Chinese agriculture, the rake was essential for leveling fields after plowing. The character also appears in the famous story of Zhu Bajie, whose weapon is a nine-toothed rake (九齿钉耙) from the novel 'Journey to the West.'

Common words containing 耙 include: 耙地 (bà dì) — To rake or harrow the ground; 钉耙 (dīng pá) — Rake; 耙子 (pá zi) — A rake.