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褒 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
褒bāoto cite; to honor, to praise; to recommendHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 衣, rank #32051, Very Hard
褒bāoto commendHSK 7, unknown, 15 strokes, radical 衣, rank #32051, Very Hard
褒bāo(of clothes) large or looseHSK 7, unknown, 15 strokes, radical 衣, rank #32051, Very Hard
bāo(bao1) T1
  1. 1to cite; to honor, to praise; to recommend
  2. 2to commend
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March 24, 2026
褒bāo(bao1)

The character 褒 (bāo) primarily means to praise or commend someone or something. It is often used in contexts of honoring achievements or recommending someone for their qualities. Additionally, it can describe clothing that is large or loose-fitting, adding a nuance to its usage in fashion contexts.

Strokes15Radical衣Frequency#32051DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, praising someone is an important social practice, often used in formal speeches and ceremonies to honor achievements, such as in academic or artistic fields.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant (bāo) bear wearing a loose robe, being praised by everyone for its kindness and strength. The character 褒 has the radical for cloth (衣) at the bottom, reminding you that it can also refer to clothing.

Meanings of 褒

bāo(bao1)
1to cite; to honor, to praise; to recommend
2to commend
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 褒

褒Simplified
15Strokes
衣Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 褒

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Podcast: 褒

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AI Study Notes for 褒

Quick Contrast

表扬 (biǎoyáng) - use 褒 when the emphasis is on formal or literary praise, while 表扬 is more common in everyday contexts.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a giant (bāo) bear wearing a loose robe, being praised by everyone for its kindness and strength. The character 褒 has the radical for cloth (衣) at the bottom, reminding you that it can also refer to clothing.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 褒 with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. It is more commonly used in formal contexts when praising achievements. Common collocations include 褒奖 (bāojiǎng - to award praise) and 褒义 (bāoyì - commendable meaning).

HSK Study Tips

Although 褒 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with other words related to praise and honor, such as 赞 (zàn - to praise) and 荣誉 (róngyù - honor). Focus on the contexts in which you can use 褒 to enhance your expressive capabilities.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, praising someone is an important social practice, often used in formal speeches and ceremonies to honor achievements, such as in academic or artistic fields.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 褒 in informal contexts where simpler terms like 赞 might be more appropriate. For example, saying '我褒你' (wǒ bāo nǐ - I praise you) might sound overly formal; instead, use '我赞你' (wǒ zàn nǐ).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 褒

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Etymology of 褒

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

clothes

Semantic (meaning)衣
+
Phonetic (sound)保
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 褒?

Decomposition of 褒

IDS Structure⿻衣保
褒Full Character
=
衣yi1
outer
保Bao3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 褒?

Write 褒

褒

Practice writing 褒 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 褒

褒 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

除了81条正面评价之外，有26位学生的观点或中立，或____贬参半，或负面，甚或跑了题。

In addition to the 81 positive comments, 26 students had neutral, mixed, negative or off topic views.

Example Sentences for 褒 (1)

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1
除了81条正面评价之外，有26位学生的观点或中立，或褒贬参半，或负面，甚或跑了题。

chú le81 81 tiáo zhèng miàn píng jià zhī， wài26 ， yǒu 26 wèi xué shēng de guān diǎn， huò zhōng lì ， huò， bāo biǎn cān， bàn ， huò fù miàn。

In addition to the 81 positive comments, 26 students had neutral, mixed, negative or off topic views.

Cultural Notes for 褒

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, praising someone is an important social practice, often used in formal speeches and ceremonies to honor achievements, such as in academic or artistic fields.

Word Family of 褒

Words Containing This Character9
褒bāoto praise
褒贬to appraise褒貶
褒义commendatory sense褒義
褒扬to praise褒揚
褒姒Baosi, concubine of King You of Zhou 周幽王[Zhōu​Yōu​wáng] and one of the famous Chinese beauties
褒禅山Mt Baochan in Anhui褒禪山
贬多于褒to get more criticism than praise貶多於褒
褒忠乡Baozhong or Paochung township in Yunlin county 雲林縣|云林县[Yún​lín​xiàn], Taiwan褒忠鄉
一字褒贬concise and powerful style一字褒貶
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 褒 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 褒

The correct pronunciation is 'bāo', with a high-level tone.