白 bái — white, pure · English

白

bái

white, pure

At a glance · 白

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

白字甲骨文象米粒或日初出之形，本义为白色、明亮；金文、小篆承之。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

白本义为白色、洁净，引申为明白。

Structure

白为象形字，描摹日始出或米粒之白。

At a glance

Pinyinbái

Radical白

Strokes5

UnicodeU+767D

Character type象形

Theme颜色

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English white, pure Bai is a pictograph of white or dawn light, meaning white and pure.

Français blanc, pur Bai est un pictogramme de lumière blanche ou de l'aube, signifiant blanc et pur.

Español blanco, puro Bai es un pictograma de luz blanca o del alba, significa blanco y puro.

العربية أبيض، نقي باي رسم تخطيطي لضوء أبيض أو الفجر، ويعني الأبيض والنقي.

Русский белый, чистый Бай — пиктограмма белого света или зари, означает белый и чистый.

Common words

白色bái sèwhite
明白míng báiunderstand

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