泊 meaning and stroke order
To anchor; to moor
How to write 泊, 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.
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Meaning of 泊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to moor (a boat)
- to park (a vehicle)
- (literary) calm; quiet; peaceful
- lake
- Taiwan pr. [bo2]
How 泊 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 白 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 泊
泊 combines water 氵 with 白 (bái), which hints at the sound bó. Picture a boat resting on still water, where it anchors and stays.
As bó, 泊 means to moor a boat or park a car, as in 停泊 (tíngbó) and 泊车 (bóchē). As pō, it means a lake or pool, as in 湖泊 (húpō) and 血泊 (xuèpō). Example: 船停泊在港口。(Chuán tíngbó zài gǎngkǒu.) The ship is anchored in the harbor.
Common mistake: Learners often read 湖泊 as húbó. In mainland standard pronunciation it is húpō, while 停泊 and 漂泊 use bó. Also do not confuse 泊 with 拍 (pāi, to clap), which has the hand radical 扌 instead of water.
Common words with 泊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
泊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 泊
How many strokes are in 泊?
泊 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 泊 mean?
泊 (pō) means to anchor; to moor. A common word with it is 湖泊 (húpō), meaning "lake".
How do you pronounce 泊?
泊 is pronounced pō, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 泊?
The radical of 泊 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 泊 under this radical.
Is 泊 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 泊 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I know when to say bó and when to say pō?
Use bó when it means to moor, park, or stay, as in 停泊, 漂泊, and 泊车. Use pō when it refers to a body of water, as in 湖泊 and 血泊. In Taiwan, bó is often used in both cases.
What does 淡泊 mean?
淡泊 (dànbó) uses the literary sense of calm and quiet. It describes someone who does not chase fame or wealth, as in 淡泊名利 (dànbó mínglì).