佰

bǎi

亻 + 百

Definitions

bǎi hundred (banker's anti-fraud numeral)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 百 represents the sound.

About

佰 is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side radical 亻 (rén, "person") indicates the meaning, and the right-side component 百 (bǎi, "hundred") provides the pronunciation. Historically, it denoted a leader of one hundred men, whether military or civilian. Over time, this meaning was abandoned, and the character is now used exclusively as the anti-fraud numeral for "hundred" in financial contexts. Adding the person radical to the standard 百 creates a more complex shape that is difficult to forge, making it ideal for banking and accounting documents.