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剥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
剥bāoto peelHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bāoto skinHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bāoto shellHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bāoto flayHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bāoto shuckHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bāoto peel, to skin; to exploitHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bōto peelHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bōto skinHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bōto shellHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bōto flayHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bōto shuckHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
剥bōto peel, to skin; to exploitHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #5457, Hard
bāo(bao1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1to peel
  2. 2to skin
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
剥(剝)bāo(bao1)

The character 剥 (bāo) primarily means 'to peel' or 'to skin,' often used in contexts involving fruits, vegetables, or other items that require their outer layer to be removed. It can also imply exploitation in a metaphorical sense, indicating taking advantage of someone or something. This dual meaning makes it versatile in both culinary and social contexts.

Strokes10Radical刂Frequency#5457DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, peeling fruits and vegetables is a common practice that reflects the importance of presentation and texture in food preparation. 剥 is often a part of traditional cooking techniques, highlighting the value placed on skillful preparation.

Memory Tip

Imagine a banana being peeled; the action of removing the skin is represented by the character 剥 (bāo). The left radical '刀' (dāo) means 'knife,' which is used in the peeling process, while the right part suggests layers being separated. Think of 'bāo' as 'baw' (like the sound of peeling) to help remember its pronunciation.

Meanings of 剥

bāo(bao1)
primary
1to peel
2to skin
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 剥

剥Simplified
剝Traditional
10Strokes
刂Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#5457Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

Podcast: 剥

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Podcast: 剥

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AI Study Notes for 剥

Quick Contrast

剥 (bāo) vs 去皮 (qùpí) — use 剥 for more general peeling or skinning, while 去皮 specifically refers to removing the skin from fruits or vegetables.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a banana being peeled; the action of removing the skin is represented by the character 剥 (bāo). The left radical '刀' (dāo) means 'knife,' which is used in the peeling process, while the right part suggests layers being separated. Think of 'bāo' as 'baw' (like the sound of peeling) to help remember its pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 剥 with other similar verbs like 剪 (jiǎn, to cut) or 脱 (tuō, to remove), which have different nuances. This verb is typically used in both informal and formal contexts, so learners should pay attention to collocations, such as '剥水果' (bāo shuǐguǒ, to peel fruit). Practicing with various objects will help solidify its use.

HSK Study Tips

Though not officially listed in HSK, understanding 剥 is important for discussing food and cooking, common topics in beginner and intermediate levels. Students should focus on recognizing its use in both literal and figurative contexts as they expand their vocabulary related to daily life.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, peeling fruits and vegetables is a common practice that reflects the importance of presentation and texture in food preparation. 剥 is often a part of traditional cooking techniques, highlighting the value placed on skillful preparation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often incorrectly use 剥 in contexts that require a different verb, such as using it for cutting instead of peeling. For example, saying '我剥菜' (wǒ bāo cài, I peel the vegetables) is correct, but '我剥肉' (wǒ bāo ròu, I peel the meat) is incorrect; here, '切' (qiē, to cut) would be more appropriate.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 剥

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Etymology of 剥

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

Phonosemantic compound. 刂 represents the meaning and 录 represents the sound. Simplified form of 剝.

Memory Hint

knife

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 剥?

Decomposition of 剥

IDS Structure⿰录刂
剥Full Character
=
录Lu4
left
刂dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 剥?

Write 剥

剥

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

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Grammar Patterns of 剥

剥 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 6 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 4

Complete the Sentence

我只能听到火的毕____声。

All I could hear was the sputter of the fire.

Example Sentences for 剥 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我只能听到火的毕剥声。

wǒ zhī néng tīng dào huǒ de bì bāo shēng。

All I could hear was the sputter of the fire.
2
他们这是在盘剥歌迷，简直是明目张胆的打劫。

tā mén zhè shì zài pán bāo gē mí， ， jiǎn zhí shì míng mù zhāng dǎn de dǎ。

They're just ripping the fans off; it's daylight robbery.
3
猎人跪在动物尸体旁边，开始剥皮。

liè rén guì zài dòng wù shī tǐ páng biān， ， kāi shǐ bāo。

The hunter knelt beside the animal carcass and commenced to skin it.
4
连年内战剥夺了我们所有人的人性。

lián nián nèi zhàn bāo duó le wǒ mén suǒ yǒu rén de rén xìng。

The years of civil war have dehumanized all of us.
5
他威胁说如果她拒绝服从就剥夺她的继承权。

tā wēi xié shuō rú guǒ tā jù jué fú cóng jiù bāo duó tā de jì chéng quán。

He threatened to disinherit her if she refused to obey.
6
这些女性几乎无一例外都受到了盘剥。

zhè xiē nǚ xìng jī hū wú yī lì wài dū shòu dào le pán bāo。

Almost without exception these women fall victim to exploitation.
7
我不想剥夺他们这点无伤大雅的乐趣。

wǒ bù xiǎng bāo duó tā mén zhè diǎn wú shāng dà yǎ de lè qù。

I would not want to deny them a harmless pleasure.
8
再要呆在一起就好像自愿被活活剥皮一样。

zài yào dāi zài yī qǐ jiù hǎo xiàng zì yuàn bèi huó huó bāo pí yī yàng。

To remain together was like volunteering to be flayed alive.
9
一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子

yī suǒ huī ní bāo luò、 、 wū dǐng lòu shuǐ de lǎo fáng

an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof
10
剥掉洋葱皮并把它纵向切成两半。

bāo diào yáng cōng pí bìng bǎ tā zòng xiàng qiē chéng liǎng bàn。

Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise.

Cultural Notes for 剥

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, peeling fruits and vegetables is a common practice that reflects the importance of presentation and texture in food preparation. 剥 is often a part of traditional cooking techniques, highlighting the value placed on skillful preparation.

Word Family of 剥

Words Containing This Character11
剥bāoto peel剝
剥夺bōduóto deprive剝奪
剥削bōxuēto exploit剝削
剥离to peel剝離
生吞活剥to swallow whole (idiom); fig. to apply uncritically生吞活剝
剥落to peel off剝落
剥削阶级exploiting class (in Marxist theory)剝削階級
剥皮to skin剝皮
盘剥to exploit盤剝
剥削者exploiter (of labor)剝削者
剥蚀to corrode剝蝕
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 剥 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 剥

剥 specifically refers to peeling or skinning, often involving a layer being removed, while 脱 generally means to take off or remove something more broadly.