(bào)

HSK 48 strokes

to hold

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
bào
Meaning
to hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug; to embrace; to surround; to cherish; (coll.) (of clothes) to fit nicely
Strokes
8
HSK level
HSK 4
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where comes from and how its parts fit together.

Ideograph⿰扌包

To wrap 包 in one's arms 扌; 包 also provides the pronunciation

A combination of parts whose meanings add up to the whole.

Made of

Parts are arranged left to right.

How to write step by step

8 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8

Words with

Common words using — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

bàoyuàn
HSK 5

to complain

Open 抱怨 page →
bàoqiàn
HSK 6

to be sorry

Open 抱歉 page →
huái怀bào
HSK 7-9

to hug; to cherish; within the bosom (of the family); to embrace (also fig.…

Open 怀抱 page →
bào
HSK 7-9

aspiration

Open 抱负 page →
bào

to wrap one's arm around (used to describe the girth of a tree trunk)

Open 合抱 page →
bàotuán

to band together; to team up

Open 抱团 page →

(idiom) to have a girl on each arm

Open 左拥右抱 page →

(idiom) to aid sb suffering an injustice; to fight for justice

Open 打抱不平 page →

Related characters

Ready to master 抱?

Trace 抱 stroke by stroke in the online practice tool, or turn it into a printable worksheet PDF with Tianzige practice grids, pinyin, and stroke-order breakdowns.