Chinese character for scar

疤 means a scar: the mark left after a wound heals. In Chinese, it appears in everyday words such as 伤疤 and 疤痕; it can also describe a scar-like flaw on a surface.

A Northern Song dictionary, 集韻, completed in 1039, records 疤 as a muscle or joint ailment. A Ming-era dictionary, 正字通, later calls it a vernacular term for 瘡痕 (“wound mark”) and points to 瘢, a more formal scar word. In 疤, 疒 points toward bodily trouble, while 巴 supplies the sound.

The public literary scar metaphor took shape in 伤痕文学 (“Scar Literature”), writing about trauma from the Cultural Revolution, a period of political upheaval in China. It developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s; its key word is 伤痕, so 疤 alone does not automatically invoke that history.

Someone sent me 疤 — what does it mean?

A bare 疤 names a scar; it doesn't set the tone. In Chinese text, it can mean a healed injury or a scar-like mark. The character alone does not tell you whether the sender is teasing or being serious, so read the surrounding words.

In modern Chinese, 揭伤疤 means bringing up a painful old matter. Said to someone, it can sound like reopening a wound. A joke about someone's appearance using 疤 can sting, so don't assume it will land.

Is 疤 the same as 瘢 or 伤痕?

They overlap, but they aren't interchangeable. 瘢 is the more formal or medical word for a scar. 伤痕 means an injury's mark or trace and can also carry psychological or historical pain, especially in 伤痕文学. 疤 is the everyday word for a bodily scar.