How to Write 畔 (pàn) — Meaning “Bank, side, or field path”

Imagine a field (田) that is cut in half (半) by a river, forming a river bank along the edge. The left side is the field and the right side shows the half-cutting line, so 畔 means the side or bank where the land meets water.

Write the left radical 田 (field) first, then the right part 半 (half). Be careful with 半: the first two strokes are dots, then two horizontal lines, and finally a vertical line through the center. A common mistake is making the vertical line too short or forgetting the second dot on top.

畔 (pàn) has 田 on the left and 半 on the right, meaning 'bank' or 'side'. 画 (huà) has 田 inside a box-like shape and means 'to draw' or 'picture'. 甾 (zāi) is rare and has 田 with three strokes on top (巛), used in chemistry. Visually, 畔 is the only one with 半 on the right.

畔 is used in literary or descriptive words like 河畔 (river bank) and 湖畔 (lake shore). It often appears in poetry or scenic descriptions, giving a calm, natural feeling. You would not use it in everyday conversation but in writing about landscapes or romantic settings.

Common words containing 畔 include: 河畔 (hé pàn) — riverside; river bank; 湖畔 (hú pàn) — lakeside; lake shore; 耳畔 (ěr pàn) — by the ear; in one's ears.