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March 24, 2026
暴bào(Bao4)
The character 暴 (bào) primarily conveys the idea of suddenness or violence. It is often used to describe actions that are brutal or cruel, as well as situations that occur abruptly. Common contexts include discussions of violent weather, aggressive behavior, or severe consequences.
Strokes15Radical日Frequency#4767DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese literature and film, characters that embody暴 often represent oppressive forces or tyrants, reflecting the cultural significance of justice and rebellion against cruelty.
Memory Tip
Imagine a storm (the '暴' in 暴风雨, bào fēng yǔ) that suddenly erupts, causing chaos and destruction. The left part of the character (夕) looks like a person shouting as the storm arrives, while the right part (暴) indicates the fierce nature of the event, helping you remember both its appearance and meaning.
Meanings of 暴
bào(Bao4)
1sudden
2violent
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 暴
暴Simplified
15Strokes
日Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#4767Frequency Rank
Podcast: 暴
Podcast: 暴
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AI Study Notes for 暴
Quick Contrast
暴 (bào) vs 猛 (měng) — use 暴 for sudden or violent actions, while 猛 emphasizes ferocity or intensity.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 暴 with similar-sounding characters like 脏 (zāng, dirty) or 忙 (máng, busy), which have different meanings. The character can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it often carries a negative connotation, so use it thoughtfully.
HSK Study Tips
Although 暴 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary list, it can be related to words like 暴力 (bàolì, violence) and 暴风 (bàofēng, storm). Focus on its usage in compound words and phrases to understand its connotations better.
Common Mistakes
Learners often misuse 暴 by applying it in contexts that require a more neutral or positive term. For example, saying 暴天气 (bào tiānqì) to mean 'fine weather' is incorrect; instead, use 好天气 (hǎo tiānqì).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 暴
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Origin unclear. Possibly represents two hands (共) laying out rice (米) to dry under the sun (日), representing the meaning "dry out under the sun", now written as 曝.
Origin unclear. Possibly represents two hands (共) laying out rice (米) to dry under the sun (日), representing the meaning "dry out under the sun", now written as 曝.
1The giveawayA man with head 日 and hands 共 tormenting a deer 水
2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 暴? 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 暴?
Decomposition of 暴
IDS Structure⿱日⿱共水
暴Full Character
=
日Ri4
top
共gong4
top
水Shui3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 暴?
How to say sudden in Chinese
“sudden” in Chinese is暴bào
The character 暴 (bào) primarily conveys the idea of suddenness or violence. It is often used to describe actions that are brutal or cruel, as well as situations that occur abruptly. Common contexts include discussions of violent weather, aggressive behavior, or severe consequences.
When to use 暴
Be careful not to confuse 暴 with similar-sounding characters like 脏 (zāng, dirty) or 忙 (máng, busy), which have different meanings. The character can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it often carries a negative connotation, so use it thoughtfully.
暴 or something close to it
暴 (bào) vs 猛 (měng) — use 暴 for sudden or violent actions, while 猛 emphasizes ferocity or intensity.
What learners get wrong
Learners often misuse 暴 by applying it in contexts that require a more neutral or positive term. For example, saying 暴天气 (bào tiānqì) to mean 'fine weather' is incorrect; instead, use 好天气 (hǎo tiānqì).
Write 暴
暴
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Practice writing 暴 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 暴
暴 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). It carries 7 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.
