宝

寳
bǎo
#809 most
frequent character
treasure, precious, treasured
noun
adjective

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

宝 shows a building 宀 with jade 玉 inside, so it first meant valuables or being valuable. The meaning grew to treasure and then to precious.

Drawn as: building holding valuables; jade inside

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Example Sentences

这个箱子里有很多宝物。
zhègè xiāngzǐ lǐ yǒu hěnduō bǎowù 。
There are many treasures in this box.
她的心是非常宝贵的。
tāde xīn shì fēicháng bǎoguì de 。
Her heart is very precious.
这幅画对我来说是个宝藏。
zhè fú huà duì wǒ láishuō shì gè bǎozàng 。
This painting is a treasure to me.

Same Characters, Different Readings

宝bǎo
treasure, precious, treasured

Words with similar meanings

珍贵zhēnguì
valuable
More formal term to describe something of high value or worth.
珍宝zhēnbǎo
precious treasure
Emphasizes rarity and exceptional value.

Homophones

HSK 3
饱bǎo
to eat till full, satisfied
保bǎo
defend, protect, keep, guarantee
宝bǎo
treasure, precious, treasured
堡bǎo
(bound form) fortress, stronghold

Words Starting With 宝

宝贝bǎo bèi
treasured object; treasure; darling; baby; cowry; good-for-nothing or queer character
宝贵bǎo guì
valuable; precious; value; treasure; set store by

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