拌 (bàn) · to mix, to toss (a salad), to stir

Meanings

1 to mix
2 to toss (a salad)
3 to stir

Characters

拌

bàn

to mix; to toss (a salad)

Examples

HSK 6

凉拌黄瓜是一道很简单的菜。

Liángbàn huángguā shì yídào hěn jiǎndān de cài.

Cold tossed cucumber is a very simple dish.

HSK 7-9

把调料和菜拌在一起。

Bǎ tiáoliào hé cài bàn zài yìqǐ.

Mix the seasoning and vegetables together.

Tips

usage

凉拌 is a common cooking method: cold-mixed dishes. 拌 is used for mixing ingredients without heat.

mistakes

Don't confuse 拌 (bàn, to mix food) with 伴 (bàn, to accompany) or 扮 (bàn, to dress up/play a role).

Components

radical

扌 shǒu

hand (radical form of 手)

Left-side hand radical, three-stroke contracted form of 手. The indexing radical, marking 拌 as a hand-action verb. The hand is doing the mixing: 拌 is to stir, toss, mingle - the cook's hand in cold dishes like 凉拌 (cold-tossed salads). Same family of hand-manipulation verbs: 搅 to stir, 揉 to knead, 抓 to grab, 捏 to pinch.

phonetic

半 bàn

half

Right side 半 supplies the sound exactly: bàn to bàn. 半 depicts an ox 牛 cut in two by 八 (divide) - 'half.' The phonetic adds quiet semantic flavour: when you 拌 ingredients you halve them and re-blend, each portion mixed into the other. Same phonetic family: 伴 companion, 绊 to trip, 畔 riverbank.