Meaning of 跑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to run
- to run away
- to escape
- to run around (on errands etc)
- (of a gas or liquid) to leak or evaporate
- (verb complement) away
- off
- (of an animal) to paw (the ground)
How to use 跑
跑 means to run, but it is also used for running away, running errands, and things leaking out, as in 气跑了 (the air leaked out). It often works as a complement meaning away or off, as in 跑掉 or 吓跑. Example: 他每天早上去公园跑步。(Tā měitiān zǎoshang qù gōngyuán pǎobù.) He goes running in the park every morning.
跑 (pǎo) puts the foot radical 足 on the left with 包 (bāo) on the right. Picture a foot wrapped up and ready to go: the foot side tells you it is about moving your legs, and 包 hints at the sound.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 跑 (pǎo) with 走 (zǒu): 走 means to walk or leave, while 跑 means to run, so 我走了 is I'm leaving, not I ran. Also watch the right side: it is 包, not 巳 or 己.
跑 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.
跑 pǎo · to run · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 跑.
| 跑步 | pǎobù | to run; to jog |
| 逃跑 | táopǎo | to flee from sth; to run away |
| 奔跑 | bēnpǎo | to run |
| 长跑 | chángpǎo | long-distance running |
| 跑道 | pǎodào | athletic track; track |
| 跑车 | pǎochē | racing bicycle; racing car; sports car; to drive a vehicle (such as a truck or taxi) for a |
| 赛跑 | sàipǎo | race (running); to race (running) |
| 起跑线 | qǐpǎoxiàn | the starting line (of a race); scratch line (in a relay race) |
| 跑龙套 | pǎo lóngtào | to play a small role |
| 跑掉 | pǎodiào | to run away; to take to one's heels |
| 乱跑 | luànpǎo | to run around; to run about aimlessly |
| 吓跑 | xiàpǎo | to scare away |
Questions about 跑
What does 跑 mean?
跑 (pǎo) means "to run; to run away" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 跑?
跑 is made of 1 character: 跑 (12 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 跑 an HSK word?
Yes. 跑 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 跑 and 跑步?
跑 is the general verb to run and can take objects or complements, like 跑过来 (run over here). 跑步 means running as exercise or jogging, and is a verb-object phrase, so you say 去跑步 (go jogging) rather than 跑步公园.
Can 跑 mean going somewhere that is not running?
Yes. In speech 跑 often means making a trip, especially an inconvenient one, as in 我跑了三趟银行 (I went to the bank three times). 跑 can also mean doing a job that involves travel, as in 跑业务 (do sales visits).