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葆 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
葆bǎodense foliage; to cover, to conceal; to preservevg, 12 strokes, radical 艹, rank #43116, Very Hard
bǎo(bao3) T3
  1. 1dense foliage; to cover, to conceal; to preserve
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March 24, 2026

葆bǎo(bao3)

The character 葆 (bǎo) primarily means to cover or preserve, often used in contexts related to safeguarding something valuable or keeping it hidden. It can also refer to dense foliage, indicating a lush, protective environment found in nature. This character is often associated with concepts of protection and nurturing.

Strokes12Radical艹Frequency#43116DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the idea of preservation is significant, especially regarding nature and heritage. The character 葆 reflects the importance of maintaining the integrity of the environment and cultural artifacts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a protective leaf (the radical 艹) covering a treasure (the meaning of 'to preserve'). The character's shape can remind you of a leafy canopy, with 'bǎo' sounding like 'bao,' which means 'to wrap' in Mandarin, reinforcing the idea of covering something important.

Meanings of 葆

bǎo(bao3)
1dense foliage; to cover, to conceal; to preserve
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 葆

葆Simplified
12Strokes
艹Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 葆

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Podcast: 葆

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AI Study Notes for 葆

Quick Contrast

保 (bǎo) - choose 葆 (bǎo) when emphasizing the notion of covering or preserving something valuable, while 保 (bǎo) is more about ensuring safety or security.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 葆 (bǎo) with 保 (bǎo), which also means 'to protect' but is used in different contexts. This character is more formal and usually appears in written language rather than casual conversation. Be cautious with tones, as mispronouncing 'bǎo' could change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Although 葆 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can help learners connect with other words related to protection and covering, such as 保持 (bǎochí) meaning 'to maintain.' Focus on recognizing its usage in literary texts or formal writing.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 葆 (bǎo) with similar-sounding characters like 保 (bǎo). For example, saying '我想保我的秘密' (I want to protect my secret) instead of '葆护' can lead to misunderstandings, as 保 is less specific about concealment.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 葆

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Etymology of 葆

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

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 保 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)保
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 葆

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 保 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half保 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 葆? 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 葆?

Decomposition of 葆

IDS Structure⿱艹保
葆Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
保Bao3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 葆?

How to say dense foliage; to cover, to conceal; to preserve in Chinese

“dense foliage; to cover, to conceal; to preserve” in Chinese is葆bǎo

The character 葆 (bǎo) primarily means to cover or preserve, often used in contexts related to safeguarding something valuable or keeping it hidden. It can also refer to dense foliage, indicating a lush, protective environment found in nature. This character is often associated with concepts of protection and nurturing.

When to use 葆

Common mistakes include confusing 葆 (bǎo) with 保 (bǎo), which also means 'to protect' but is used in different contexts. This character is more formal and usually appears in written language rather than casual conversation. Be cautious with tones, as mispronouncing 'bǎo' could change the meaning.

葆 or something close to it

保 (bǎo) - choose 葆 (bǎo) when emphasizing the notion of covering or preserving something valuable, while 保 (bǎo) is more about ensuring safety or security.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 葆 (bǎo) with similar-sounding characters like 保 (bǎo). For example, saying '我想保我的秘密' (I want to protect my secret) instead of '葆护' can lead to misunderstandings, as 保 is less specific about concealment.

Write 葆

葆

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 葆

葆 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. 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

____拉拿好行李准备上长途汽车。

Paula had put out her luggage for the coach.

Example Sentences for 葆 (5)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
葆拉拿好行李准备上长途汽车。

bǎo lā ná hǎo háng lǐ zhǔn bèi shàng cháng tú qì chē。

Paula had put out her luggage for the coach.
2
我觉得她对葆拉的提议可能会感兴趣。

wǒ jué dé tā duì bǎo lā de tí yì kě néng huì gǎn xīng qù。

I thought she might be interested in Paula's proposal.
3
我默默地向葆拉投去恳求的目光。

wǒ mò mò dì xiàng bǎo lā tóu qù kěn qiú de mù guāng。

I threw a mute look of appeal at Paula.
4
他一直等到所有的行李都拿走了，但始终没看见葆拉的。

tā yī zhí děng dào suǒ yǒu de háng lǐ dū ná zǒu le， ， dàn shǐ zhōng méi kàn jiàn bǎo lā。

He waited until all the luggage was cleared, but Paula's never appeared.
5
钱葆生 大叫,咬着牙齿, 额角上全是黄豆大的汗粒了.

qián bǎo shēng dà, jiào , yǎo zháo, yá chǐ , é jiǎo shàng quán shì huáng dòu dà de.

Chien Pao - sheng roared through clenched teeth; beads of sweat stood out on his forehead.

Word Family of 葆

Words Containing This Character2
葆bǎoto cover
沈葆祯Shen Baozhen (1820-1879), Qing Minister of the Navy, founded Fuzhou Naval College 船政學堂|船政学堂[Chuán​zhèng​Xué​táng] in 1866沈葆禎
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 葆 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 葆

You can say '他想要葆护他的秘密,' which means 'He wants to preserve his secret.'

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