Meaning of 宝宝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- darling; baby
How to use 宝宝
宝宝 is a warm, everyday word for a baby or small child. Parents also use it when talking to their child, and couples use it as a pet name for each other. Example: 宝宝睡着了。(Bǎobao shuìzháo le.) The baby is asleep.
宝 (bǎo) means treasure, as in 宝石 (bǎoshí, gem). Say it twice and you get 宝宝, a little treasure, which is how parents see their baby.
Common mistake: Learners often say the second syllable with a full third tone. In normal speech it is neutral, so say bǎobao, not bǎobǎo. Also do not mix it up with 宝贝 (bǎobèi), which can mean a treasured object as well as a darling.
宝宝 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
宝 bǎo · jewel · 8 strokes
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宝 bǎo · jewel · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 宝宝.
| 宝贝 | bǎobèi | treasured object; treasure |
| 宝贵 | bǎoguì | valuable; precious |
| 宝石 | bǎoshí | precious stone; gem |
| 珠宝 | zhūbǎo | pearls; jewels |
| 宝藏 | bǎozàng | precious mineral deposits; hidden treasure |
| 国宝 | guóbǎo | national treasure |
| 宝库 | bǎokù | treasure-house; treasury |
| 瑰宝 | guībǎo | a treasure; a rare and valuable thing |
| 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 |
Questions about 宝宝
What does 宝宝 mean?
宝宝 (bǎobao) means "darling; baby" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 宝宝?
宝宝 is made of 2 characters: 宝 (8 strokes), 宝 (8 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 宝宝 an HSK word?
Yes. 宝宝 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 宝宝 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 宝宝 is written 寶寶.
Can adults call each other 宝宝?
Yes. Couples often use 宝宝 as a sweet nickname, much like baby in English. It sounds affectionate and casual, so avoid it in formal or work settings.
Is 宝宝 the same as 婴儿 (yīng'ér)?
Both can mean baby, but 婴儿 is neutral and formal. You see it in medical or written contexts. 宝宝 is warm and spoken, used by family and friends.