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白

白 (bái) Chinese Character: white

5 strokes · HSK 1 · Radical 白

Bright daylight helps you remember 白 = white.

Practice 白 in the interactive lesson

Chinese character story: Bright and White

白 (bái) means “white.” Connect it with bright daylight: when everything is clearly lit, white objects stand out. 白 also appears in 白天, “daytime.”

🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes

Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.

白天
白light天day=daytime
白云
白white云cloud=white cloud

Chinese character origin and etymology

白 has long been connected with brightness, clarity, and the color white.

A short top stroke sits above a sun-like box. 白 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.

Chinese character stroke order and structure

白 is written with 5 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.

  • 白 — white — a basic form used as one complete character

Common usage and sentence patterns

The examples below show 白 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.

她穿白衣服。 Tā chuān bái yīfu. She is wearing white clothes.
这只猫是白的。 Zhè zhī māo shì bái de. This cat is white.
我白天学习。 Wǒ báitiān xuéxí. I study during the day.

Bái stroke order: how to write 白

白 (bái) means “white” and is written with 5 strokes. Write the short left-falling stroke first, then the vertical stroke, the horizontal-turn stroke, the inner horizontal, and the closing horizontal. Use the Chinese stroke order guide to review the shared writing rules before replaying the animation above.

The unmarked spelling “bai” is ambiguous. 白 (bái) uses the second, rising tone and means “white,” while 百 (bǎi) uses the third tone and means “hundred.” Tone marks help you connect the correct sound, character, and meaning.

Learning tips for 白

Learn the reading as one unit: bái, with the second tone: rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “white,” and write the 5 strokes from memory.

Because 白 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 日 (rì, sun, day); 明 (míng, bright, clear). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.

Quick review checklist

  • Can you recognize 白 without pinyin?
  • Can you say bái with the correct tone and explain “white”?
  • Can you write all 5 strokes in order?
  • Can you use 白 in one short sentence?

Related characters

Continue learning Chinese characters

Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.

Sources and editorial note

HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.

Last updated: August 16, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.