板

• Pinyin: bǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 板 = 木 (wood) + 反 (reverse, phonetic component)

Meaning

Board; plank; plate. A flat, rigid piece of material.

Used in many compounds: 黑板 (blackboard), 地板 (floor), 木板 (wooden board), 老板 (boss). Can also describe a stiff or rigid manner in informal usage.

Examples

1. 老师在黑板上写了今天的生词。 The teacher wrote today's new vocabulary on the blackboard.
2. 地板上有一些水，小心别滑倒。 There's some water on the floor — be careful not to slip.
3. 他用一块木板做了一个小书架。 He made a small bookshelf from a wooden board.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, school, construction

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请看黑板上的内容。(Please look at what's on the blackboard.)
• 家里的地板需要换了。(The floor at home needs to be replaced.)

Don't Say

• 一个板 (Don't use 个 as the measure word for 板 — use 块: 一块板)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic character: 木 (wood) radical indicates material, 反 is the phonetic component.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal