伴

bàn
noun HSK 7-9 #3,903

Meanings

  1. 1 companion; partner
  2. 2 to accompany

Examples

HSK 4
Péibàn háizi.
To accompany the child.
HSK 5
Huǒbàn hěn duō.
There are many partners.

Tips

usage
伙伴 = partner, 陪伴 = to accompany, 伴侣 = spouse/companion.

Components

radical
亻 rén
person (left-side form)
Left person radical 亻 - the side-form of 人. Anchors 伴 in the human-relation family alongside 你, 他, 们, 仁. Carries the meaning core: a companion is by definition another person, so the radical does not just label the character, it embodies the concept.
phonetic
半 bàn
half
Right component supplies the sound: 半 bàn -> bàn (exact match). Beautifully transparent semantically too: a companion is your 'other half,' so 亻 + 半 reads as 'the person who is your half.' Among learners this is one of the cleanest mnemonics in the whole language. Same phonetic in 拌 (mix), 绊 (trip up), 胖 (plump).

Stroke Order

伴 bàn