抱

bào
HSK 4
#1,120 most
frequent character
to hold, to carry (in one's arms)
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

抱 combines 扌 (hand) as the meaning part with 包 bāo (to contain), which also adds meaning and marks the sound. It first meant holding something in the arms, then grew to 'carry' and 'hug.'

Ask DeepSeek

Example Sentences

我抱着我的狗。
wǒ bào zháo wǒde gǒu 。
I am holding my dog.
她抱住了孩子。
tā bàozhù le háizǐ 。
She hugged the child.
他抱歉地道歉。
tā bàoqiàn dì dàoqiàn 。
He apologizes with regret.

Words with similar meanings

拥抱yōngbào
to embrace
More commonly used in the context of a warm or loving hug.
搂lǒu
to cuddle
Usually implies a more tender and intimate form of holding.

Homophones

爆bào
explode, burst, quick-fry
豹bào
leopard
报bào
to report
暴bào
sudden, violent, cruel

Words Starting With 抱

抱歉bào qiàn
sorry; We apologize!; to feel apologetic; to regret
抱怨bào yuàn
to complain; to grumble
抱负bào fù
aspiration; ambition

Your word lists

Sign in to add this word to your private lists.

Public Lists with 抱

Feelings & Emotions
Vocabulary for happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love, excitement, etc.
HSK 4
All words for the HSK 4 test
Family & Relationships
Immediate and extended family terms, romantic relationships, friendships.
Basic Verbs
Core action verbs like 'go,' 'come,' 'eat,' 'see,' commonly encountered in HSK.