The character 爆 — “explode”: how to write it and what it means
explode, burst
The Chinese character 爆 is read bào and means “explode, burst”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 爆
爆 has 19 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 爆, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 爆 is made of
On the left, 火 “fire”; on the right, 暴 bào “violent” gives both meaning and reading.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 爆
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 爆?
爆 has 19 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 爆 mean?
爆 means “explode, burst”. It appears in 爆炸 (“explode”), 爆发 (“break out”).
How do you pronounce 爆?
爆 is read bào. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 爆 have?
19 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 爆 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
Start for free