The 巴 Character Family
巴 recurs in these common characters. Use it to notice a pattern, then check each character’s own pronunciation and tone.
巴 is a sound clue; the left component changes the meaning.
Learn the semantic clue, then open the character page to practise it in context.
扌 points to hand.
to grasp, to hold; to guard, to take; handle
COMMON WORD把 · to hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate; handlebar; classifier: handful, bundle, bunch; classifier for things with handles; handleOpen 把 character →口 points to mouth.
emphatic final particle
COMMON WORD吧 · bar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc); to puff (on a pipe etc); (onom.) bang; (modal particle indicating suggestion or surmise); ...right?; ...OK?Open 吧 character →Start with these six high-value examples, then open the complete 19-character family when you are ready.
View all 19 family characters →How should I study the 巴 character family?
Compare the meaning-side component, then learn every member in a common word. The shared component is a memory aid, not a fixed pronunciation rule.