宝 meaning and stroke order
Jewel; gem; treasure
How to write 宝, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 8
Meaning of 宝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- jewel
- gem
- treasure
- precious
- variant of 寶|宝[bao3]
How 宝 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Jade 玉 kept in one's house 宀.
Radical: 宀 (roof), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 宝
宝 is jade 玉 (yù) kept under a roof 宀. Picture a family hiding their most precious jade inside the house, and you have treasure.
宝 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It appears in words like 宝贵 (bǎoguì, precious), 宝石 (bǎoshí, gem), and the very common pet name 宝贝 (bǎobèi). Example: 时间很宝贵。(Shíjiān hěn bǎoguì.) Time is very precious.
Common mistake: Learners often write 宝 with 王 (wáng) instead of 玉, forgetting the small dot at the lower right. Without that dot it is no longer jade, so check that the dot is there.
Common words with 宝
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 宝贝 | bǎobèi | treasured object; treasure | HSK 4 |
| 宝宝 | bǎobao | darling; baby | HSK 4 |
| 宝贵 | bǎoguì | valuable; precious | HSK 4 |
| 宝石 | bǎoshí | precious stone; gem | HSK 4 |
| 珠宝 | zhūbǎo | pearls; jewels | HSK 6 |
| 宝藏 | bǎozàng | precious mineral deposits; hidden treasure | HSK 7-9 |
| 国宝 | guóbǎo | national treasure | HSK 7-9 |
| 宝库 | bǎokù | treasure-house; treasury | HSK 7-9 |
| 瑰宝 | guībǎo | a treasure; a rare and valuable thing | HSK 7-9 |
| 宝贝儿 | bǎobèir | erhua variant of 寶貝|宝贝[bao3 bei4] | |
| 宝物 | bǎowù | treasure | |
| 财宝 | cáibǎo | money and valuables | |
| 珍宝 | zhēnbǎo | a treasure | |
| 宝座 | bǎozuò | throne |
宝 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 宝
How many strokes are in 宝?
宝 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 宝 mean?
宝 (bǎo) means jewel; gem; treasure. A common word with it is 宝贝 (bǎobèi), meaning "treasured object; treasure".
How do you pronounce 宝?
宝 is pronounced bǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 宝?
The radical of 宝 is 宀, which carries the idea of "roof". Dictionaries list 宝 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 宝?
The traditional form of 宝 is 寳 and 寶. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 宝 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 宝 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 宝 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 宝宝 and 宝贝?
宝宝 (bǎobao) mostly means a baby or small child, and parents use it as a pet name. 宝贝 (bǎobèi) can mean a treasured object, but people also use it to call a child or a romantic partner "darling."
Is 宝贵 the same as 贵?
No. 贵 (guì) usually means expensive in price. 宝贵 (bǎoguì) means valuable or precious in a deeper sense, as in 宝贵的经验 (bǎoguì de jīngyàn), valuable experience.