How to Write 部 (bù) — Meaning “part / section / department”

Imagine a person standing (立) and giving orders with their mouth (口) in a city department (阝). This visual of 'standing and speaking in a department' can help you associate the left part with the sound 'bu' and the right part with the meaning of place.

Write the left part 咅 first: start with 立 (dot, horizontal, dot, left-falling, horizontal), then add 口 (vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal). Finish with the right 阝: horizontal left-falling hook, then vertical. A common mistake is making the left side too wide or the right vertical stroke curved rather than straight.

部 has 咅 on the left and means 'part' or 'department', while 邾 (zhu) has 朱 on the left and is a rare surname or place name, and 郁 (yu) has 有 on the left and means 'gloomy' or 'fragrant'. Only 部 is common in everyday Chinese.

部 appears in essential words like 部分 (part), 部门 (department), and 全部 (all). It is frequently used for government ministries (e.g., 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and company divisions, reflecting its role in organization and hierarchy in Chinese culture.

Common words containing 部 include: 全部 (quán bù) — all; entire; total; 部分 (bù fèn) — part / portion / section; 部门 (bù mén) — department / branch.