八
eight
bā
What does 八 mean?
八 (bā) is the Chinese number eight. It's a cardinal numeral used like any other: count items (八个人 'eight people'), tell time (八点 'eight o'clock'), or give dates and prices.
Two things English speakers should know: first, 八 is the luckiest number in Chinese culture because bā rhymes with 发 (fā) in 发财 ('get rich'), so license plates, phone numbers, and apartment floors containing 八 sell at a premium and weddings are often scheduled on the 8th; second, in counting sequences 八 stays a first tone, but learners often confuse it with 吧 (ba, a sentence-final particle) or 把 (bǎ, a grammatical marker) — the tone is what keeps them apart. The 2008 Beijing Olympics famously opened at 8:08 pm on 8/8/08 for this reason.
Character breakdown
eight; the number 8
Memory hook: Two strokes that split apart — like dividing a group in two, you get eight (8 = two fours).
Example sentences
我有八个朋友。
Wǒ yǒu bā gè péngyǒu.
I have eight friends.
neutral
现在是八点。
Xiànzài shì bā diǎn.
It's eight o'clock now.
spoken
他八月去中国。
Tā bā yuè qù Zhōngguó.
He's going to China in August.
neutral
这个八块钱。
Zhège bā kuài qián.
This is eight yuan.
spoken
Common phrases with 八
Don't confuse 八 with
吧 (neutral tone) is a sentence-final particle for suggestions ('let's...') or soft confirmation. 八 (first tone) is the number eight. Same shape if you squint, but the tone and the 口 radical on 吧 set them apart.
把 (third tone) is a grammatical particle that moves the object before the verb (我把书放了 'I put the book down') and a measure word for things with handles. 八 is just the number.
FAQ
Acquire by listening
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