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抛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
抛pāoto throwHSK 6, zg, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #2727, Hard
抛pāoto tossHSK 6, zg, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #2727, Hard
抛pāoto flingHSK 6, zg, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #2727, Hard
抛pāoto castHSK 6, zg, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #2727, Hard
抛pāoto abandonHSK 6, zg, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #2727, Hard
抛pāoto abandon, to throw away; to fling, to tossHSK 6, zg, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #2727, Hard
pāo(pao1) T1
  1. 1to throw
  2. 2to toss
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
抛(拋)pāo(pao1)

The character 抛 (pāo) means 'to throw' or 'to toss.' It is commonly used in contexts involving physical actions of throwing objects, as well as metaphorical uses like abandoning something, such as a responsibility or a relationship. The nuance can imply a sense of carelessness or spontaneity in the act of throwing or discarding.

Strokes7Radical扌Frequency#2727DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of throwing away something can symbolize letting go of the past, as seen in practices like throwing away old items during spring cleaning for the Lunar New Year.

Memory Tip

Imagine a baseball player (the radical 扌, which indicates an action related to the hand) throwing a ball (抛) with great force. Picture the ball soaring through the air, emphasizing the motion of 'throwing' and the sound 'pāo' as it flies away.

Meanings of 抛

pāo(pao1)
1to throw
2to toss
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 抛

抛Simplified
拋Traditional
7Strokes
扌Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#2727Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 抛

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Podcast: 抛

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AI Study Notes for 抛

Quick Contrast

扔 (rēng) — use 抛 (pāo) when emphasizing a sense of carelessness or spontaneity in the act of throwing, while 扔 (rēng) is more neutral.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a baseball player (the radical 扌, which indicates an action related to the hand) throwing a ball (抛) with great force. Picture the ball soaring through the air, emphasizing the motion of 'throwing' and the sound 'pāo' as it flies away.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 抛 with other similar verbs like 投 (tóu), which means 'to throw' but with a more precise or intentional connotation. 抛 is more informal and can imply a lack of care. Be cautious of tone; the first tone (pāo) must be pronounced correctly to avoid confusion.

HSK Study Tips

Although 抛 is not in the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with similar action verbs that are essential for Level 2 and 3 learners, like 投 (tóu) and 扔 (rēng). Students should focus on distinguishing between these verbs based on their connotations and contexts.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of throwing away something can symbolize letting go of the past, as seen in practices like throwing away old items during spring cleaning for the Lunar New Year.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 抛 when they mean to say 'to throw' in a more intentional manner, which would be better expressed with 投 (tóu). For example, saying 抛篮球 (pāo lánqiú) instead of 投篮球 (tóu lánqiú) can lead to confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 抛

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Etymology of 抛

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

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 抛?

Decomposition of 抛

IDS Structure⿰扌⿺九力
抛Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
九jiu3
enclosing
力Li4
inner
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 抛?

Write 抛

抛

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

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Grammar Patterns of 抛

抛 carries 6 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

新任总裁已经执行了____售方案。

The programme of sell-offs has been implemented by the new chief executive.

Example Sentences for 抛 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
新任总裁已经执行了抛售方案。

xīn rèn zǒng cái yǐ jīng zhí háng le pāo shòu fāng àn。

The programme of sell-offs has been implemented by the new chief executive.
2
木头最近经过抛光又恢复了光泽。

mù tóu zuì jìn jīng guò pāo guāng yòu huī fù le guāng zé。

The wood had been recently polished to bring back the shine.
3
我把问题抛在一边，目前它还无法解决。

wǒ bǎ wèn tí pāo zài yī biān， ， mù qián tā huán wú fǎ jiě。

I pushed the problem aside; at present it was insoluble.
4
我避免在过于抛头露面的地方工作。

wǒ bì miǎn zài guò yú pāo tóu lòu miàn de dì fāng gōng zuò。

I avoid working in places which are too public.
5
“我要走了，”她冷冰冰地抛出几个字。

“ “ wǒ yào zǒu，” le ，” tā lěng bīng bīng dì pāo chū jī。

"I'm leaving," she said curtly.
6
这个城市恶名昭彰，它把人作践了，然后抛弃掉。

zhè gè chéng shì è míng zhāo zhāng， ， tā bǎ rén zuò jiàn， le ， rán hòu pāo。

This town is notorious for chewing people up and spitting them out.
7
市场可能会抛售该股票，从而令其股价下跌。

shì cháng kě néng huì pāo shòu gāi gǔ piào， ， cóng ér líng qí gǔ jià xià。

The market might abandon the stock, and knock down its price.
8
“这是开心的一天，”她说，将那事抛到了脑后。

“ “ zhè shì kāi xīn de yī，” tiān ，”， tā shuō ， jiāng nà shì pāo dào。

"It's been a lovely day," she said, dismissing the episode.
9
我不想让他感到被抛弃而不快乐。

wǒ bù xiǎng ràng tā gǎn dào bèi pāo qì ér bù kuài lè。

I don't want him to feel forsaken and unhappy.
10
海浪变得汹涌澎湃，把小船像漂浮的软木塞一样抛来甩去。

hǎi làng biàn dé xiōng yǒng péng pài， ， bǎ xiǎo chuán xiàng piāo fú de ruǎn mù sāi yī yàng pāo lái shuǎi。

The seas grew turbulent, tossing the small boat like a cork.

Cultural Notes for 抛

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the act of throwing away something can symbolize letting go of the past, as seen in practices like throwing away old items during spring cleaning for the Lunar New Year.

Word Family of 抛

Words Containing This Character19
抛pāoto throw拋
抛弃pāoqìto abandon拋棄
抛开pāokāito throw out拋開
抛售to dump (selling abroad more cheaply than cost price at home)拋售
抛锚to drop anchor拋錨
抛光to polish拋光
抛下to dump拋下
抛物线parabola拋物線
抛头露面to show your face in public (derog.)拋頭露面
抛砖引玉lit. throw out a brick and get jade thrown back (idiom)拋磚引玉
抛洒to drip拋灑
抛却to discard拋卻
抛撒to sprinkle拋撒
抛掷to throw拋擲
抛射to throw拋射
抛荒to lie idle (of arable land)拋荒
抛离to desert拋離
抛物面paraboloid (geometry)拋物面
抛体projectile拋體
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 抛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 抛

You might encounter phrases like 抛弃 (pāoqì), meaning 'to abandon' or 'to discard,' in both casual and formal contexts.