How common it is
拍 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say pāi slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
拍表示用手打一下，也可指拍摄。
pāi biǎo shì yòng shǒu dǎ yí xià， yě kě zhǐ pāi shè。
Pat/photograph means to tap with a hand, and it can also mean to film or shoot.
Context note
拍常出现在拍手、拍照和动作里。
pāi cháng chū xiàn zài pāi shǒu 、 pāi zhào hé dòng zuò lǐ。
Pat often appears in clapping, taking photos, and actions.
5 examples
请拍手。
qǐng pāi shǒu。
Please clap your hands.
我拍照。
wǒ pāi zhào。
I take a photo.
他拍了一下桌子。
tā pāi le yí xià zhuō zi。
He tapped the table once.
老师拍了拍我的肩膀。
lǎo shī pāi le pāi wǒ de jiān bǎng。
The teacher patted my shoulder.
我们拍了一张照片。
wǒ men pāi le yì zhāng zhào piàn。
We took a photo.
5 mini stories
表演开始后，大家一起拍手。
biǎo yǎn kāi shǐ hòu， dà jiā yì qǐ pāi shǒu。
After the performance started, everyone clapped together.
妈妈拍了拍我的肩膀，让我认真听。
mā ma pāi le pāi wǒ de jiān bǎng， ràng wǒ rèn zhēn tīng。
Mom patted my shoulder to let me listen carefully.
我拍了一张花的照片。
wǒ pāi le yì zhāng huā de zhào piàn。
I took a photo of the flowers.
他拍着桌子，提醒大家安静。
tā pāi zhe zhuō zi， tí xǐng dà jiā ān jìng。
He tapped the table to remind everyone to be quiet.
老师让我们拍照留念。
lǎo shī ràng wǒ men pāi zhào liú niàn。
The teacher asked us to take a photo as a memory.