带 dài — band; belt; girdle; ribbon; area; zone
出门别忘了带伞。Chū mén bié wàng le dài sǎn.Do not forget to bring an umbrella when you go out.
Common words: 带来 (dài lái)、带领 (dài lǐng)、带动 (dài dòng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "ribbon"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "ribbon", including 带 (dài), 扎 (zhā / zā / zhá). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "ribbon" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 带 (dài), 扎 (zhā / zā / zhá) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dài, zhā, zā, zhá — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 带 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 带 dàiband; belt; girdle; ribbon; area; zoneUseful words: 带来, 带领
- 扎 zhā / zā / zháto tie; to bind; tie with string or ribbon; bind with rope or cord; to stop; to prickUseful words: 挣扎, 驻扎
Common words for these 2 "ribbon" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 带 (dài) — so "ribbon" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "ribbon".
扎 zhā / zā / zhá — to tie; to bind; tie with string or ribbon; bind with rope or cord; to stop; to prick
不小心被针扎了一下，手指有点儿疼。Bù xiǎo xīn bèi zhēn zhā le yí xià, shǒu zhǐ yǒu diǎnr téng.I accidentally got pricked by a needle, and my finger hurts a bit.
Common words: 挣扎 (zhēng zhá)、驻扎 (zhù zhā)、扎实 (zhā shi)
All 2 characters
Open 带、扎 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.