坝
bà · HSK 7
dam
�댐 bà sounds like bar — a bar across the river holds the water back
The character 坝 has 土 (earth) on the left, showing its built from soil and stone. Think of it as an earth-bar blocking the flow. The bà sound mirrors English bar, which is exactly what a dam does — bars the water.
坝 — earth radical 土 + 霸 (bà) phonetic
坝 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the earth radical 土 signals an earthwork, while 霸 (bà) gives the sound. It originally referred to a dam or embankment built of packed earth to hold back water. In modern usage it still means dam, dike, or a flat plain, especially in southwest China.