寶 meaning and stroke order
Treasure, jewel; rare, precious
How to write 寶, stroke by stroke
20 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 寶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- jewel
- gem
- treasure
- precious
How 寶 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Valuables 貝 kept in one's house 宀; 珤 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 宀 (roof), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 寶
Picture a house roof 宀 sheltering jade and shells 貝, which were old symbols of wealth. The middle part 珤 also hints at the sound bǎo, so a house full of valuables is a treasure, 寶 (bǎo).
寶 is the traditional form, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Mainland China writes it 宝. It appears mostly in compounds like 寶貝 (bǎobèi) and 寶貴 (bǎoguì), and it is also a warm way to address children or loved ones. Example: 時間很寶貴。(Shíjiān hěn bǎoguì.) Time is very precious.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 寶 with 實 (shí, real), since both have 宀 on top and 貝 at the bottom. Remember that 寶 has the 珤 part with 玉 jade in the middle. Also keep the third tone in 寶貝 (bǎobèi), and do not flatten it to bāo.
Common words with 寶
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 寶貝 | bǎobèi | treasured object; treasure | HSK 4 |
| 寶寶 | bǎobao | darling; baby | HSK 4 |
| 寶貴 | bǎoguì | valuable; precious | HSK 4 |
| 寶石 | bǎoshí | precious stone; gem | HSK 4 |
| 珠寶 | zhūbǎo | pearls; jewels | HSK 6 |
| 寶藏 | bǎozàng | precious mineral deposits; hidden treasure | HSK 7-9 |
| 國寶 | guóbǎo | national treasure | HSK 7-9 |
| 寶庫 | bǎokù | treasure-house; treasury | HSK 7-9 |
| 瑰寶 | guībǎo | a treasure; a rare and valuable thing | HSK 7-9 |
| 寶貝兒 | bǎobèir | erhua variant of 寶貝|宝贝[bao3 bei4] | |
| 寶物 | bǎowù | treasure | |
| 財寶 | cáibǎo | money and valuables | |
| 珍寶 | zhēnbǎo | a treasure | |
| 寶座 | bǎozuò | throne |
Questions about 寶
How many strokes are in 寶?
寶 is written with 20 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 寶 mean?
寶 (bǎo) means treasure, jewel; rare, precious. A common word with it is 宝贝 (bǎobèi), meaning "treasured object; treasure".
How do you pronounce 寶?
寶 is pronounced bǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 寶?
The radical of 寶 is 宀, which carries the idea of "roof". Dictionaries list 寶 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 寶?
寶 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 宝, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 寶寶 (bǎobao) only used for babies?
No. 寶寶 means baby, but couples and friends also use it as an affectionate nickname like darling. The second syllable is usually said in a light neutral tone.
What is the difference between 寶貴 and 珍貴?
Both mean precious. 寶貴 (bǎoguì) is often used for abstract things like time, experience, or advice. 珍貴 (zhēnguì) leans more toward rare physical objects, such as relics or rare animals.