薄 meaning and stroke order
Thin; cold in manner; indifferent
How to write 薄, stroke by stroke
16 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 薄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- thin
- cold in manner
- indifferent
- weak
- light
- infertile
- meager
- slight
- weak
- ungenerous or unkind
- frivolous
- to despise
- see 薄荷[bo4 he5]
How 薄 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grass.
艹 gives the meaning and 溥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 薄
薄 is pictophonetic: grass 艹 on top gives the meaning, and 溥 (pǔ) below hints at the sound. Picture a thin layer of grass spread over the ground, so thin you can see the soil.
Say báo for physical thinness in everyday speech, like thin paper, clothes, or pancakes. Use bó in more formal or abstract words such as 薄弱 (bóruò) weak and 刻薄 (kèbó) harsh. Example: 这件衣服太薄了。(Zhè jiàn yīfu tài báo le.) This piece of clothing is too thin.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 薄 as báo, but in compound words like 微薄 (wēibó) and 稀薄 (xībó) it is bó, and in 薄荷 (bòhe) mint it is bò. Also do not confuse it with 簿 (bù, notebook), which has the bamboo top ⺮ instead of grass 艹.
Common words with 薄
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
薄 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 薄
How many strokes are in 薄?
薄 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 薄 mean?
薄 (báo) means thin; cold in manner; indifferent. A common word with it is 薄弱 (bóruò), meaning "weak; frail".
How do you pronounce 薄?
薄 is pronounced báo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 薄?
The radical of 薄 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 薄 under this radical.
Is 薄 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 薄 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 薄 (báo)?
The opposite of báo is 厚 (hòu), meaning thick. For example, 厚书 (hòu shū) is a thick book and 薄书 (báo shū) is a thin book.
Can 薄 describe a person's attitude?
Yes. It can mean cold or ungenerous, as in 刻薄 (kèbó) unkind or harsh. Saying someone treats you 不薄 (bù bó) means they treat you well.