bā

eight

How it’s built

Pictograph of two lines facing away from each other. The current meaning "eight" is a phonetic loan. The original meaning "separate" is now written as 别.

Through the ages

Bronze script

Appears in

Characters that use 八 as a component, most common first.

分fēnto divide 半bànhalf 傻shǎfoolish 兑duìcash 叭bātrumpet 兮xīexclamatory particle 趴pāprone 扒bāto scratch 㒸suìto obey 兌duìcash