魄 meaning and stroke order
Vigor, soul, body; the dark side of the moon
How to write 魄, stroke by stroke
14 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 魄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (literary) soul; mortal soul (i.e. attached to the body)
How 魄 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Spirit.
鬼 gives the meaning and 白 hints at the sound.
Radical: 鬼 (ghost), shared by 17 characters on this site.
How to remember 魄
魄 is pictophonetic: 鬼 (guǐ, ghost) on the right gives the meaning of spirit, and 白 (bái) on the left hints at the sound pò. Picture a pale white ghost, the soul that stays tied to the body.
魄 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. It lives in words about inner strength and soul, such as 魄力 (pòlì, daring), 气魄 (qìpò, boldness) and 魂魄 (húnpò, soul). Example: 他做事很有魄力。(Tā zuòshì hěn yǒu pòlì.) He acts with real boldness.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 魄 (pò) with 魂 (hún), which also means soul and also uses 鬼. Remember 白 for 魄 and 云 for 魂, and that they often appear together as 魂魄.
Common words with 魄
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
魄 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 魄
How many strokes are in 魄?
魄 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 魄 mean?
魄 (pò) means vigor, soul, body; the dark side of the moon. A common word with it is 魄力 (pòlì), meaning "courage; daring".
How do you pronounce 魄?
魄 is pronounced pò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 魄?
The radical of 魄 is 鬼, which carries the idea of "ghost". Dictionaries list 魄 under this radical.
Is 魄 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 魄 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 魂 and 魄?
In traditional thought, 魂 (hún) is the soul that can leave the body, while 魄 (pò) is the mortal soul attached to the body. In modern use they mostly appear together as 魂魄 meaning soul in general.
What does 惊心动魄 mean and when do I use it?
惊心动魄 (jīngxīn-dòngpò) means heart-stopping or breathtaking, literally shocking the heart and moving the soul. Use it for thrilling scenes, like a match or a film: 那场比赛惊心动魄。