伯 meaning and stroke order
Older brother; father's elder brother; sir, sire, count
How to write 伯, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 伯
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- one hundred (old)
- father's elder brother
- senior
- paternal elder uncle
- eldest of brothers
- respectful form of address
- Count, third of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3 deng3 jue2 wei4]
- variant of 霸[ba4]
How 伯 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 白 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 伯
伯 combines the person radical 亻 with 白 (bái), which hints at the sound. Picture a person 亻 with white 白 hair: an older man in the family, your father's elder brother.
伯 usually appears in family and respect terms like 伯伯 (bóbo) and 伯父 (bófù), and in polite address for older men such as 老伯 (lǎobó). It is also used to write foreign sounds, as in 阿拉伯 (Ālābó, Arab). Example: 伯伯，您好。(Bóbo, nín hǎo.) Hello, Uncle.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 伯伯 (bóbo), the father's older brother, with 叔叔 (shūshu), the father's younger brother. Calling a friend's dad 伯伯 or 叔叔 depends on whether he is older or younger than your own father. Also keep the second tone bó, not the bái of 白.
Common words with 伯
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 伯母 | bómǔ | wife of father's elder brother; aunt | HSK 7-9 |
| 伯伯 | bóbo | father's elder brother; uncle | HSK 7-9 |
| 伯父 | bófù | father's elder brother; term of respect for older man | HSK 7-9 |
| 阿拉伯语 | Ālābóyǔ | Arabic (language) | HSK 7-9 |
| 伯爵 | bójué | earl; count | |
| 韦伯 | Wéibó | weber (unit of magnetic flux, Wb) | |
| 老伯 | lǎobó | uncle (polite form of address for older male) | |
| 世伯 | shìbó | uncle (affectionate name for a friend older than one's father); old friend | |
| 大伯 | dàbó | husband's older brother; father's older brother (esp. his oldest brother) |
伯 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 伯
How many strokes are in 伯?
伯 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 伯 mean?
伯 (bó) means older brother; father's elder brother; sir, sire, count. A common word with it is 伯母 (bómǔ), meaning "wife of father's elder brother; aunt".
How do you pronounce 伯?
伯 is pronounced bó, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 伯?
The radical of 伯 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 伯 under this radical.
Is 伯 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 伯 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 伯父 and 伯伯?
Both mean father's elder brother. 伯父 (bófù) is more formal and is often used when talking about him or addressing a friend's father politely. 伯伯 (bóbo) is warmer and more spoken.
What do you call the wife of 伯伯?
She is 伯母 (bómǔ). This word is also a common polite way to address a friend's mother, especially when meeting her for the first time.