般 (bān): sort, kind, class
般 (bān) is a Chinese character meaning “sort.” Classified as HSK Level 3 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 舟 (structural) and 殳 (structural). It ranks #629 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 般 using a tool 殳 to sort items on a tray 舟. Its radical form 舟 (boat) appears in many related characters such as 船 (chuán, boat), 航 (háng, boat), 舰 (jiàn, warship).
Definitions
- sort
- kind
- class
Etymology & Origin
ideographicUsing a tool 殳 to sort items on a tray 舟
Decomposition: ⿰舟殳 (layout: left-right)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 般 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 般
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一般来说 | yī bān lái shuō | generally speaking |
| 般配 | bān pèi | to be well matched |
| 这般 | zhè bān | like this |
| 如此这般 | rú cǐ zhè bān | thus and so |
| 百般 | bǎi bān | in hundred and one ways |
| 一般说来 | yī bān shuō lái | generally speaking |
| 一般而言 | yī bān ér yán | generally speaking |
| 万般 | wàn bān | every kind |
| 一般性 | yī bān xìng | general |
| 万般无奈 | wàn bān wú nài | to have no way out |
| 一般人 | yī bān rén | average person |
| 一般见识 | yī bān jiàn shi | (idiom) to lower oneself to (sb's) level |
| 一般规定 | yī bān guī dìng | ordinary provision (law) |
| 一般来讲 | yī bān lái jiǎng | generally speaking |
| 一般原则 | yī bān yuán zé | general principle |
般 appears in 37 compound words: 22 as the first character, 27 as the last, and 51 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 般 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (6)
to create innumerable obstacles; to make things difficult for; to create obstructions of every description
to be at the same level of understanding; to lower oneself to someone's level
Example Sentences
他的笑容如阳光般温暖，让人感到很舒服。
Tā de xiàoróng rú yángguāng bān wēnnuǎn, ràng rén gǎndào hěn shūfu.
His smile is as warm as sunshine, making people feel very comfortable.
男科检查一般检查什么?外生殖器外观和睾丸触诊是基础吗
nán kē jiǎn chá yī bān jiǎn chá shén má ? wài shēng zhí qì wài guàn hé 睾 wán chù zhěn shì jī chǔ ma
What is commonly checked for andrology? Is external genital appearance and testicular palpation fundamental?
...热纸新制228上路!贴太黑要被罚钱了 一般车、计程车标准不同最新规定一次看
. . . rè zhǐ xīn zhì 2 2 8 shàng lù ! tiē tài hēi yāo bèi fá qián le yī bān chē , jì chéng chē biāo zhǔn bù tóng zuì xīn guī dìng yī cì kàn
... The new hot paper 228 is on the road! If the post is too black, you will be fined, and the standards for general cars and taxis are different, and the latest regulations are looked at at once
網傳「一般人逛百貨公司都跳過1樓」 內行人曝:業績...
網 傳 yī bān rén guàng bǎi 貨 gōng sī dōu tiào 過 樓 內 háng rén pù 業 績 . . .
It is rumored on the Internet that "most people skip the first floor when visiting department stores" Insiders revealed: performance...
灣區天氣迎來過山車般的一週
灣 區 tiān 氣 yíng 來 過 shān 車 bān de yī 週
Bay Area weather takes a rollercoaster ride this week
...加成最後一天 新北計程車明天0時起恢復一般費率
. . . jiā chéng zuì 後 yī tiān xīn běi 計 chéng 車 míng tiān 時 qǐ huī 復 yī bān 費 lǜ
...Last day of surcharges New Taipei City taxis to revert to standard rates starting at midnight tomorrow
你们一般几点下班？
Nǐmen yībān jǐdiǎn xiàbān?
When do you usually get off work?
你一般中午饭吃什么？
Nǐ yībān zhōngwǔ fàn chī shénme?
What do you usually eat for lunch?
你一般星期几去电影院看电影？
Nǐ yībān xīngqījǐ qù diànyǐngyuàn kàn diànyǐng?
How many times a week do you go to the movie theater to watch movies?
你在闲暇的时候一般做什么？
Nǐ zài xiánxiá de shíhou yībān zuò shénme?
What do you usually do in your free time?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 般 (bān) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 般 have?
What is the radical of 般?
What are the components of 般?
What are common words containing 般?
What characters sound the same as 般 (bān)?
Is 般 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 般 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.