刨 (páo) is a Chinese character meaning “to dig”. It is written from 包 (to wrap; bundle) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 7 strokes. It has a second reading, bào, which turns up in 刨冰 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to dig”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
包 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分：hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（包 5 画 + 刂 2 画 = 7 画）
Memory aid
A knife (刂) working on a wrapped bundle (包): you scrape and dig away the outside layer by layer.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 刨根问底páo gēn wèn dǐto dig up the root and ask to the bottom — to get to the bottom of something刨 = páo
Go deeper
All readings
to dig
to dig; to scrape away; to dig up (also: to deduct, to exclude)
挖；掘。也表示从总数中减去。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刨根问底páo gēn wèn dǐto dig up the root and ask to the bottom — to get to the bottom of something刨 = páo
to plane (wood)
a plane (woodworking tool); to plane or shave something smooth
刨子，推平木料的工具；用刨子或刨床刮平、刮碎东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刨冰bào bīngshaved ice刨 = bào
Sound component
包 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 刨 mean?
刨 (páo) means to dig; to scrape away; to dig up (also: to deduct, to exclude).
How do you pronounce 刨?
Its main reading is páo. It also has a second reading, bào, which only shows up in certain words such as 刨冰 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 刨 sometimes pronounced bào?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 刨冰 it is read bào.
What parts is 刨 made of?
包 (to wrap; bundle) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分：hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（包 5 画 + 刂 2 画 = 7 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 刨 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 刨?
刀. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 刨?
Common ones are 刨根问底. The reading of 刨 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.