Hanzi Writer

How to Write 摆 (bǎi) — Meaning “to place; to sway; to display”

bǎi HSK Level 4 13 strokes Radical: 扌

摆 (bǎi) means "to place; to sway; to display" in Chinese. It has 13 strokes with the radical 扌, and is HSK Level 4.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 71% of HSK Level 4 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 摆放 (bǎi fàng), 摆手 (bǎi shǒu), 摇摆 (yáo bǎi).

Due to its 13 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 摆 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 摆 - bǎi

Practice Writing 摆 (bǎi)

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How to Write 摆

The character 摆 (bǎi) is written with 13 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 扌 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does bǎi (摆) Mean in Chinese?

摆 means to place; to sway; to display.

As an HSK Level 4 character, 摆 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character摆
Pinyinbǎi (bai)
Meaningto place; to sway; to display
Strokes13
Radical扌
HSK Level4
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 摆

The character 摆 is a phono-semantic compound combining the hand radical 扌, indicating an action involving the hand, and the phonetic component 罢 (bà), meaning 'to stop' or 'cease.' Originally it referred to arranging or setting items down with the hand, as in placing objects for display; later it also acquired the sense of 'to sway,' perhaps from the hand motion of adjusting placement.

💡 Memory Tip: With your hand (扌), you stop (罢) to place an object, then give it a gentle sway to check its position.

Common Words with 摆

摆放 bǎi fàng
to arrange; to set out
摆手 bǎi shǒu
to wave one's hand
摇摆 yáo bǎi
to swing; to sway; to waver

Example Sentences

桌上摆放着几本书。

zhuō shàng bǎi fàng zhe jǐ běn shū

There are a few books on the table.

他对我摆了摆手。

tā duì wǒ bǎi le bǎi shǒu

He waved his hand at me.

柳枝在风中摇摆。

liǔ zhī zài fēng zhōng yáo bǎi

Willow branches are swaying in the wind.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
摆 (current) bǎi 13 扌
挲 sā 11 扌
捧 pěng 11 扌
捩 liè 11 扌
Stroke order practice for 摆 - bǎi

Practice Writing 摆 (bǎi)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 摆 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 摆

摆 combines the radical 扌 (hand) on the left with 罢 (bà, meaning to stop or quit) on the right. The hand radical suggests actions done with the hand, like placing or waving. The right part 罢 adds the idea of stopping, which can relate to swaying or hesitating (as in 摇摆).

More HSK Level 4 Characters

阿ā/ē姨yí矮ǎi置zhì暗àn巴ba/bā士shì货huò脱tuō败bài裹guǒ含hán括kuò薄báo/bó/bò宝bǎo贝bèi密mì守shǒu抱bào倍bèi

Characters with Radical 扌

才cái扎zā/zhā/zhá扑pū扒bā/pá打dá/dǎ扔rēng払fǎn托tuō扛gāng/káng扢gǔ

Other 13-Stroke Characters

䧹yīng亶dǎn催cuī傺chì傻shǎ傿yàn像xiàng剽piāo剿jiǎo勤qín