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坂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
坂bǎnhillside, slopenr, 7 strokes, radical 土, rank #15084, Very Hard
bǎn(ban3) T3
  1. 1hillside, slope
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

坂bǎn(ban3)

The character 坂 (bǎn) refers to a hillside or slope, often used in geographical contexts to describe the incline of land. It can denote both natural hills and artificial slopes, highlighting its relevance in discussions about terrain and landscape. The character is less commonly used than its variant 阪 (bān), which is found in more formal contexts.

Strokes7Radical土Frequency#15084DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, hills and slopes have significant symbolism, often associated with prosperity and stability. The character 坂 can be found in place names and is relevant in discussions about traditional Chinese landscaping and architecture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a steep hill (坂) where you are 'banned' (sounds like bǎn) from riding your bike down. The character has a 'hill' form with a horizontal line on top, resembling the peak of a slope, and the bottom part suggests stability, grounding it to the earth.

Meanings of 坂

bǎn(ban3)
1hillside, slope
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 坂

坂Simplified
7Strokes
土Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 坂

JasonAmy

Podcast: 坂

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AI Study Notes for 坂

Quick Contrast

阪 (bān) is used in more formal contexts compared to 坂 (bǎn), which is more common in everyday language.

Usage Notes

坂 is typically used in writing and conversation about geography and physical environments. Be cautious not to confuse it with 阪 (bān), which has slightly different usage. The tone must be pronounced correctly as the third tone, to avoid confusion with other characters.

HSK Study Tips

Although 坂 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects well with words related to geography and nature, which are common in beginner levels. Students should focus on recognizing its form and meaning in context, as it may appear in reading passages.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 坂 with 阪 and use them interchangeably. For example, saying '我住在这个阪' instead of '我住在这个坂' can lead to misunderstandings regarding the intended meaning of a location.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 坂

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Etymology of 坂

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 反 represents the sound. Simplified form of 岅.

Memory Hint

earth

Semantic (meaning)土
+
Phonetic (sound)反
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 坂

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 反 represents the sound. Simplified form of 岅.

  1. 1The meaning half土 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half反 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayearth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 坂? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 坂?

Decomposition of 坂

IDS Structure⿰土反
坂Full Character
=
土Tu3
left
反fan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 坂?

How to say hillside, slope in Chinese

“hillside, slope” in Chinese is坂bǎn

The character 坂 (bǎn) refers to a hillside or slope, often used in geographical contexts to describe the incline of land. It can denote both natural hills and artificial slopes, highlighting its relevance in discussions about terrain and landscape. The character is less commonly used than its variant 阪 (bān), which is found in more formal contexts.

When to use 坂

坂 is typically used in writing and conversation about geography and physical environments. Be cautious not to confuse it with 阪 (bān), which has slightly different usage. The tone must be pronounced correctly as the third tone, to avoid confusion with other characters.

坂 or something close to it

阪 (bān) is used in more formal contexts compared to 坂 (bǎn), which is more common in everyday language.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 坂 with 阪 and use them interchangeably. For example, saying '我住在这个阪' instead of '我住在这个坂' can lead to misunderstandings regarding the intended meaning of a location.

Write 坂

坂

Practice writing 坂 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 坂

Words Containing This Character5
坂bǎnslope
达坂城Dabancheng district of Urumqi city 烏魯木齊市|乌鲁木齐市[Wū​lǔ​mù​qí​Shì], Xinjiang達坂城
达坂城区Dabancheng district of Urumqi city 烏魯木齊市|乌鲁木齐市[Wū​lǔ​mù​qí​Shì], Xinjiang達坂城區
坂井Sakai (Japanese surname and place name)
坂本Sakamoto (Japanese surname)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 坂 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 坂

You can say '这座坂很陡' (zhè zuò bǎn hěn dǒu), meaning 'This slope is very steep.'

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