排

The Chinese character 排 (pái) is composed of two parts: 扌(shǒu), which represents the hand, and 旁 (páng), which means "side" or "row". Together, these components suggest the idea of arranging or placing things in a row or sequence.The earliest known usage of 排 dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC), where it was used in the sense of "to arrange" or "to put in order". Over time, the character took on additional meanings, including "to reject", "to expel", and "to line up".In modern Chinese, 排 is commonly used in a variety of contexts. For example, it can be used to describe the act of queuing up (排队), arranging furniture (排放), or scheduling events (排程). It can also be used in a more abstract sense, such as to express the idea of rejecting or excluding someone (排斥).The character 排 is also used in a number of compound words and phrases. For example, 排球 (páiqiú) means "volleyball", while 排水 (páishuǐ) means "drainage".In terms of its pronunciation, 排 is pronounced as "pái" in Mandarin Chinese. The tone of the character is the first tone, which is a high, level tone.Overall, the character 排 is a versatile and commonly used character in Chinese. Its etymology and usage provide insights into the rich history and cultural context of the Chinese language.