How to Write 杷 (pá) — Meaning “loquat; rake”

Imagine a loquat fruit that looks like a small round "bar" (巴 sounds like "bar") hanging from a tree branch (木). Or think of a wooden rake (木) with a curved handle like the letter "B" to match 巴.

Write the left radical 木 first: horizontal, vertical, left-falling stroke, then dot. Next write 巴: horizontal fold, vertical, horizontal, and finish with a vertical bend (not a hook). Keep the left side narrow and the right side balanced; a common error is making the final stroke too sharp or hook-like.

朱 (zhū) has a horizontal line across the top of 木, creating a different structure, and means "vermillion" — no connection to loquat or rake. 朴 (pǔ) has 卜 on the right instead of 巴, meaning "simple" or a type of tree; its right part is simpler with just two strokes. Visually, 杷 is unique because of the curved 巴 component.

杷 appears almost always in the word 枇杷 (pí pá), which means the loquat fruit or tree. Products like 枇杷膏 (pí pá gāo, loquat syrup) are common for soothing coughs. The meaning "rake" is not used much today; people usually write 耙 (pá) for that tool.

Common words containing 杷 include: 枇杷 (pí pá) — loquat; 枇杷膏 (pí pá gāo) — loquat syrup; loquat paste; 枇杷树 (pí pá shù) — loquat tree.