clap, beat (music)

About this kanji

The kanji 拍, pronounced "haku" or "hyō," primarily means "clap" or "beat," especially in the context of music. It is mainly used in nouns rather than verbs. You will often encounter it in compounds like 拍手 (はくしゅ), meaning "clapping hands"; 拍子 (ひょうし), which refers to "time" or "rhythm" in music; and 脈拍 (みゃくはく), meaning "pulse." A useful note is that this kanji can also relate to heartbeat, as in 心拍 (しんぱく). You might see this kanji in musical contexts or when discussing rhythmic movements.

Example sentences

• 拍手が会場に響いた。

  Applause echoed in the hall.

Meanings across languages

English

clap, beat (music)

Tiếng Việt

vỗ tay

日本語

拍

한국어

박수

中文

拍

id

tepuk, irama

th

ปรบมือ, จังหวะ

es

aplaudir, compás

fr

frapper, battement

de

klatschen, Schlag

pt

aplaudir, batida

Common compounds

• 拍車はくしゃ(riding) spur, spurring on, acceleration
• 拍手はくしゅclapping hands, applause, clapping one's hands in prayer (at a shrine)
• 拍子ひょうしtime, meter, metre
• 脈拍みゃくはくpulse, pulse rate, pulsation
• 心拍しんぱくheartbeat
• 手拍子てびょうしbeating time with one's hands, clapping to the beat, making a careless move (in go, shogi, etc.)
• 心拍数しんぱくすうheart rate, pulse rate
• 三拍子さんびょうしtriple time, triple meter, triple metre