抱 meaning in English

bào

to hold; to carry (in one's arms)

HSK 4verb8 strokes

Meaning of 抱

Definitions from CC-CEDICT.

bào

to hold
to carry (in one's arms)
to hug
to embrace
to surround
to cherish
(coll.) (of clothes) to fit nicely

How to use 抱

抱 is the everyday verb for holding something or someone in your arms, like a baby, a pet, or a box. It also appears in common words such as 抱歉 (bàoqiàn, sorry) and 抱怨 (bàoyuàn, to complain). Example: 妈妈抱着孩子。(Māma bàozhe háizi.) Mom is holding the child.

抱 (bào) has the hand part 扌 on the left and 包 (bāo, to wrap) on the right. Picture your hands wrapping around someone or something, and you have a hug.

Common mistake: Learners often mix up 抱 (bào) with 包 (bāo, bag, to wrap) and 饱 (bǎo, full after eating), since they share the same right side and sound alike. Check the left part: 扌 for hands means hold, 饣 for food means full.

抱 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

抱bào歉qiàn，我wǒ没méi有yǒu早zǎo点diǎn写xiěe-mail给gěi你nǐ。

Sorry I didn't e-mail you sooner.

抱bào歉qiàn，我wǒ不bú是shì本běn地dì人rén。

I am sorry. I am not from here.

你nǐ没méi什shén么me可kě抱bào歉qiàn的de。

You have nothing to be sorry about.

今jīn天tiān很hěn抱bào歉qiàn，让ràng你nǐ等děng了le这zhè么me多duō时shí间jiān。

I'm sorry I made you wait for so long today.

抱bào歉qiàn，我wǒ没méi有yǒu早zǎo点diǎn回huí复fù你nǐ。

I'm sorry I didn't reply to you sooner.

Stroke order for each character

Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.

抱 bào · to hold · 8 strokes

Related words

Words that share a character with 抱.

抱怨	bàoyuàn	to complain; to grumble
拥抱	yōngbào	to embrace; to hug
抱歉	bàoqiàn	to be sorry; to feel apologetic
怀抱	huáibào	to hug; to cherish
抱负	bàofù	aspiration; ambition
抱抱	bàobào	to hug; to give a cuddle
抱头	bàotóu	to put one's hands behind one's head, fingers interlaced; to hold one's head in one's hand
投怀送抱	tóuhuáisòngbào	to throw oneself in sb's arms; to throw oneself at sb

Questions about 抱

What does 抱 mean?

抱 (bào) means "to hold; to carry (in one's arms)" and is used as a verb.

How do you write 抱?

抱 is made of 1 character: 抱 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.

Is 抱 an HSK word?

Yes. 抱 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.

What is the difference between 抱 and 拥抱?

抱 is a general verb for holding or hugging and can take objects like a baby or a bag. 拥抱 (yōngbào) specifically means to embrace a person and sounds a bit more formal or emotional.

Can 抱 be used for abstract things like hope?

Yes. 抱 can mean to cherish or hold onto an idea, as in 抱着希望 (bàozhe xīwàng, holding onto hope). The word 抱负 (bàofù, ambition) comes from this sense.