How to Write 搒 (bàng) — Meaning “to beat; to row (a boat)”

Imagine a person using their hand (扌) to "bang" (sound like bàng) on a boat side while rowing. This associates the left hand radical with the action of beating or rowing, and the right part 旁 reminds you of the sound "bang" (like a hit).

Write the left radical 扌 first: horizontal, vertical hook, then lift. Then write the right part 旁: top dot, horizontal, dot, left-falling, horizontal, vertical, horizontal hook, and finally left-falling. A common mistake is making the right part too wide—keep 旁 slightly narrower than the hand radical to maintain balance.

搒 (bàng) means "to beat" or "to row a boat." 捧 (pěng) means "to hold in both hands" (e.g., 捧花). 挲 (suō) means "to rub" or "to stroke" (as in 摩挲). Visually, 搒 has 旁 on the right, 捧 has 奉, and 挲 has 沙—these different right parts change the pronunciation and meaning.

搒 is very rare in everyday modern Chinese and is mostly found in classical literature or historical texts. For example, 搒打 appears in old writings to describe thrashing someone, and 搒船 may appear in poetry about rowing. Learners should recognize it but not expect to use it often.

Common words containing 搒 include: 搒打 (bàng dǎ) — to thrash; to beat; 搒船 (bàng chuán) — to row a boat; 搒人 (bàng rén) — to beat someone; to hit someone.