bāng

help

Original meaning: 

side of a shoe

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "side of a shoe". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components
帛 meaning component

  Meaning component

  

silks

封 sound component

  Sound component

fēng

  

letter

Definitions

() 

bāng

to help, assist; to defend; shoe upper; to help; to assist; to support; for sb (i.e. as a help); hired (as worker); side (of pail, boat etc); outer layer; upper (of a shoe); group; gang; clique; party; secret society

Most common words with 幫
Freq.
Word
Meaning

to help

帮助

aid

帮忙

to help

四人帮

Gang of Four: Jiang Qing 江青, Zhang Chunqiao 張春橋, Yao Wenyuan 姚文元, Wang Hongwen 王洪文, who served as scapegoats for the excesses of the cultural revolution

黑帮

criminal gang