抱 (bào) · to hold in one's arms

抱 (bào) means “to hold in one's arms”. It is made of 扌 + 包 and has 8 strokes, and is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).

Break 抱 into its parts

What 抱 is made of

• 扌 shǒu — hand
  • 二 — two strokes
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
  • 亅 — hook
• 包 bāo — wrap
  • 勹 bāo — wrap shape
    • 丿 — falling stroke
  • 巳 sì — the hours from 9 to 11
    • 乚 — hook stroke

Origin hint: To wrap 包 in one's arms 扌; 包 also provides the pronunciation (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

抱 stroke order

Example sentences

Words with 抱

• 抱歉bàoqiànsorry
• 抱怨bàoyuànto complain
• 拥抱yōngbàoto hug
• 抱负bàofùambition

Also built with 扌

• 举jǔto raise
• 我wǒI
• 才cáitalent
• 扎zhāto prick
• 扑pūto pounce on
• 扒bāto hold on to
• 打dǎto play (ball)
• 扔rēngto throw
• 托tuōto raise
• 扛kángto carry on the shoulder
• 扣kòuto fasten
• 执zhíto execute

Quick facts

Questions about 抱