爬

• Pinyin: pá
• Hanzi breakdown: 爬 = 爪 (claw) + 巴 (to cling, phonetic component)

Meaning

To climb; to crawl. Describes the action of moving upward using hands and feet, or moving on all fours.

Used for climbing trees, walls, mountains, stairs, and also for crawling on the ground. Babies crawling and insects moving are also described with 爬. Common in compounds like 爬山 (climb a mountain) and 爬楼梯 (climb stairs).

Examples

1. 小猫爬到了树上。 The kitten climbed up the tree.
2. 宝宝学会爬了。 The baby has learned to crawl.
3. 他很快就爬上了楼顶。 He quickly climbed up to the rooftop.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, outdoors, physical activity

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 小心地爬上去。(Climb up carefully.)
• 孩子在地上爬来爬去。(The child is crawling around on the ground.)

Don't Say

• 不要说'爬公共汽车' (Don't say 爬 for boarding a bus — use 上 instead; 爬 implies physically climbing)

Origin & History

Composed of the claw radical 爪 and 巴 (to cling). The original meaning was to scratch or claw, which evolved into climbing and crawling.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal