[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Hand-Actions # 拍 pāi to slap; to clap ## Components [[手 shǒu]] [[手 (shǒu)]] [[白 bái]] [[白 (bái)]] ## Meaning Nowadays, the character "拍" (pāi) means "to slap," "to clap," or "to pat." It is commonly used in various contexts, such as clapping hands, taking a photo (as in "拍照," pāi zhào, meaning "to take a picture"), or striking something with the hand. The character retains its associations with hand movements and sounds produced by those actions. ## History The character "拍" (pāi) is a phono-semantic compound. The component "扌" represents the hand, indicating the action of slapping or clapping with the palm. The phonetic part "白" (bái) suggests the sound produced by this action, as it shares a similar pronunciation. Its original meaning is "to slap" or "to clap." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ? ### Bronze Script ? ### Seal Script ? ### Clerical Script ![[拍 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[拍 reg.svg]]