How to Write 伐 (fá) — Meaning “To cut down; to attack; to boast”

Picture a person (亻) holding a long spear (戈) and using it to chop down a tree. This image captures both "to cut wood" and "to attack," and the spear's shape looks like the number 1 and a hook, making it easy to recall.

Write the left radical 亻 with a slanted stroke, then add the right side 戈: first a horizontal stroke, then a downward slant ending in a hook, and finally a small dot. A common mistake is confusing 伐 with 代 (dài, "to replace") – remember that 伐 has a spear (戈) while 代 has a slanted line and a dot.

The right side of 伐 is 戈 (spear), while 什 has 十 (ten) and 仁 has 二 (two). Visually, 伐's right component is larger and includes a hook. In meaning, 伐 relates to cutting or attacking, whereas 什 means "what" (used in 什么) and 仁 means "benevolence" or "kindness."

伐 appears in words like 步伐 (pace/step), 伐木 (logging), and 讨伐 (to send a punitive expedition). It is not common in everyday conversation but is used in formal, literary, or historical contexts, especially when discussing military campaigns or woodcutting activities.

Common words containing 伐 include: 步伐 (bù fá) — Pace / Step; 伐木 (fá mù) — Logging; to cut wood; 讨伐 (tǎo fá) — To send a punitive expedition against.