How to Write 百 (bǎi) — Meaning “Hundred”

Imagine a white (白) board with a single line (一) drawn across the top, and inside the board you see the number 100 written. This connects the 'one' on top of 'white' to the meaning of hundred.

Write the top horizontal stroke (一) first, then the 白 part: left vertical, then the two horizontals inside, then the right vertical, and finally the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the top stroke too long or too short—it should be slightly wider than the 白 below.

百 has a horizontal stroke on top of 白, so it looks like 'one white' and means 'hundred.' 白 has no top stroke and means 'white.' 皂 has a 匕 (dagger) under 白, not a top stroke, and means 'soap.' The key difference is the extra stroke above or below 白.

百 is used for the number 100 in counting, such as 一百 (yì bǎi, one hundred) and in percentages like 百分之 (bǎi fēn zhī, percent). It also appears in compound words like 百货 (bǎi huò, general merchandise), and is common in idioms such as 百闻不如一见 (seeing is believing).

Common words containing 百 include: 一百 (yì bǎi) — one hundred; 百分之 (bǎi fēn zhī) — Percent; 百货 (bǎi huò) — General merchandise.