How to say “hug” in Chinese
hug; hold in one's arms
“Hug” in Chinese is 抱, bào: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
抱 is read bào. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On the left, 扌 “hand”; on the right, 包 bāo hints at the sound.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “抱”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 抱. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 真抱歉，我来晚了。zhēnbàoqiàn,wǒláiwǎnleI'm really sorry I'm late.
- 真抱歉我不得不拒绝你的邀请zhēnbàoqiàn,wǒbùdébújùjuénǐdeyāoqǐngI'm really sorry, but I have to decline your invitation.
- 他老是抱怨工作太累tālǎoshìbàoyuàngōngzuòtàilèiHe's always complaining that his work is too tiring.
- 她抱着一个胖娃娃tābàozheyígepàngwáwaShe’s holding a chubby baby in her arms.
- 妈妈温柔地抱着孩子māmawēnróudebàozheháiziMom is tenderly hugging the child.
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “Being there”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “hug” in Chinese?
“Hug” in Chinese is 抱, pinyin bào.
What does 抱 mean?
抱 (bào) means “hug; hold in one's arms”.
How do you write 抱?
抱 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 抱?
抱 is read bào. Tones: bào — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“hug” in the lesson “Being there”
This word is from the topic “Family and loved ones” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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