批
pī · HSK 4
to criticize
批 = hand 扌+ 比 (compare); to slap/critique, now a measure word for batches
Originally meant to strike or critique with the hand (扌 hand radical + 比 compare for phonetic). The slap/sort sense extended to sorting items into groups, giving the modern measure-word use for batches or lots of general things.
批 — hand radical 扌 + 比 (compare, phonetic)
批 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the hand radical 扌 signals an action done with the hand, while 比 supplies the sound (bǐ → pī). Its original sense was to strike or slap with the hand, which extended to 'push aside,' then to 'judge' or 'comment on' (as in 批评), and finally to 'a batch' of things handled together.