bai

Everyday

1. (Mandarin, pinyin) "bái" (白) means "white"; "bǎi" (百) means "hundred". It sounds like English "by" or "bye". It is not an English word. tree →
2. (a name) Bai is a Chinese family name. tree →
3. The Bai are an ethnic group of people in Yunnan, China. tree →

In the lessons

In Mandarin lessons and on the street children may hear "bái" in colour words and "bǎi" in counting: yī bǎi = one hundred. In Chinese, the tone changes the meaning, so the same sounds "bai" can mean different words. In stories it may appear as a person's surname, such as Li Bai (a famous old Chinese poet).

Examples

• "Bái" means white in Mandarin. tree →
• "Yī bǎi" means one hundred in Chinese. tree →
• My friend's surname is Bai. tree →
• In Chinese, "bai" can mean different things depending on the tone. tree →
• Li Bai was a famous Chinese poet. tree →
• To an English ear, "bai" sounds just like "bye". tree →

Note

Not an English word: a Mandarin syllable written in pinyin (with tone marks bái, bǎi, bài) or a Chinese name (capital B). Do not confuse with English "by", "buy" or "bye", which sound the same. "Bái" + "tiān" (báitiān) means "daytime".