拍 (pāi) - to clap & to pat

拍Tone 1

pāi ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 扌

柠七

拍 · pāi

to clap;

to pat;

to beat;

to slap;

to take (a photo);

to shoot (a film);

to auction;

a racket (sports);

a beat (music)

to clapto patto beat

Usage highlights

to take a phototo shoot a movieto clap handsto pat on the shouldertable tennis racketto flatter

Synonyms

  • 打— to hit; to strike
  • 击— to beat; to hit
  • 摄— to photograph; to shoot

Antonyms

  • 揉— to rub gently; to massage
  • 抚— to stroke; to caress

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Please clap your hands (拍手).
  • He is taking a photo (拍照).
  • The director is shooting a movie (拍电影).
  • This item will be auctioned (拍卖).

Collocations

  • to take a photo(拍照)
  • to shoot a movie(拍电影)
  • to clap hands(拍手)
  • to pat on the shoulder(拍肩膀)
  • table tennis racket(乒乓球拍)
  • to flatter(拍马屁)

Idioms

  • To flatter or brown-nose(拍马屁)
  • A sudden inspiration or brainwave(一拍即合)
  • To act in coordination(一个拍子打不响)
  • To take a group photo(拍合影)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, '拍马屁' (flattering) originally referred to patting a horse's buttocks to make it run faster, later extended to mean flattering people.
  • In music, '拍' refers to the beat or rhythm, essential in traditional Chinese opera and music.
  • The character appears in sports terminology, particularly for racket sports like table tennis and badminton.

FAQ