峇 (bā) - A character used in transliteration of foreign words, & also appears in classical Chinese texts with variant

峇Tone 1

bā ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

峇 · bā

A character used in transliteration of foreign words, particularly in Southeast Asian place names and personal names;

also appears in classical Chinese texts with variant meanings.

A character used in transliteration of foreign words,also appears in classical Chinese texts with variant

Usage highlights

Bali IslandPeranakan ChineseMountain caveDeep valleyBaba cultureBaba language

Synonyms

  • 巴— Ba (alternative transliteration character)
  • 岜— Ba (similar mountain-related character for transliteration)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • A famous volcanic island in Indonesia(峇厘岛, Bali Island)
  • A district in Singapore(峇峇, referring to Peranakan Chinese)
  • Used in classical texts meaning mountain cave or valley(峇, mountain cave)
  • Appears in transliteration of Arabic names(峇, in some Arabic name transcriptions)

Collocations

  • Bali Island(峇厘岛)
  • Peranakan Chinese(峇峇)
  • Mountain cave(山峇)
  • Deep valley(深峇)
  • Baba culture(峇峇文化)
  • Baba language(峇峇话)

Idioms

  • No specific common idioms feature this character prominently

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in Southeast Asian Chinese communities for transliterating local place names and cultural terms
  • The term '峇峇' refers to Straits-born Chinese, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore, representing a unique cultural fusion
  • In classical Chinese, the character appears rarely with meanings related to geographical features

FAQ