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March 24, 2026
玻bō(bo1)
The character 玻 (bō) means 'glass' and is commonly used in contexts relating to objects made of glass, such as windows or drinking vessels. It can also be found in compound words that describe glass products or materials, emphasizing its role in everyday life.
Strokes9Radical王Frequency#11108DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, glass is often associated with modernity and transparency, particularly in urban architecture. The use of glass in buildings symbolizes openness and progress, reflecting the rapid development of cities in China.
Memory Tip
Imagine a large, shiny piece of glass reflecting the sun. The character 玻 has a component resembling a piece of glass with its sharp edges (these are the 'tiles' on a roof). Picture 'bō' as the sound made when a glass object is placed down gently - this will help you remember both the pronunciation and meaning.
Meanings of 玻
bō(bo1)
1glass
Exercise 1 of 3
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 玻
玻Simplified
9Strokes
王Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#11108Frequency Rank
Podcast: 玻
Podcast: 玻
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AI Study Notes for 玻
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 玻 (bō) with similar characters, such as 瓦 (wǎ) which means 'tile'. 玻 is typically used in both formal and informal contexts but is more common in everyday language. Collocations include 玻璃杯 (bōlí bēi) meaning 'glass cup' and 玻璃窗 (bōlí chuāng) meaning 'glass window'.
HSK Study Tips
Although 玻 (bō) is not officially in the HSK vocabulary list, it aligns with HSK 3 concepts like materials and objects. Focus on learning related vocabulary, such as 玻璃 (bōlí), which means 'glass' in a broader sense, to enhance your understanding.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 玻 (bō) with 玻璃 (bōlí), mistakenly using one instead of the other. Remember, 玻 is the character for 'glass,' while 玻璃 is the word for 'glass' as a material or item.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 玻
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Drill the tone of 玻 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 王 represents the meaning and 皮 represents the sound.
1The meaning half王 carries the sense.
2The sound half皮 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayjade
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 玻? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 玻?
Decomposition of 玻
IDS Structure⿰王皮
玻Full Character
=
王Wang2
left
皮Pi2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 玻?
How to say glass in Chinese
“glass” in Chinese is玻bō
The character 玻 (bō) means 'glass' and is commonly used in contexts relating to objects made of glass, such as windows or drinking vessels. It can also be found in compound words that describe glass products or materials, emphasizing its role in everyday life.
When to use 玻
Be careful not to confuse 玻 (bō) with similar characters, such as 瓦 (wǎ) which means 'tile'. 玻 is typically used in both formal and informal contexts but is more common in everyday language. Collocations include 玻璃杯 (bōlí bēi) meaning 'glass cup' and 玻璃窗 (bōlí chuāng) meaning 'glass window'.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 玻 (bō) with 玻璃 (bōlí), mistakenly using one instead of the other. Remember, 玻 is the character for 'glass,' while 玻璃 is the word for 'glass' as a material or item.
Write 玻
玻
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Practice writing 玻 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 玻
玻 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
需要保护你的手臂和双腿免受____璃反射光线的照射。
Your arms and legs need protection from light bouncing off glass.
