剥 (bō) is a Chinese character meaning “to strip off”. It is written from 录 (to record; to copy down) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 10 strokes. It has a second reading, bāo, which turns up in 剥皮 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to strip off”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
录 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 剥，裂也。从刀从录，录亦声
Memory aid
A knife (刂) stands beside 录. Picture the knife peeling strips off 录, one layer at a time — that's 剥, to peel or strip away.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 剥夺bō duóto deprive; to strip of剥 = bō
- 剥削bō xuēto exploit; exploitation剥 = bō
Go deeper
All readings
to strip; to deprive
to strip off; to deprive (used in compound words)
去掉外面的东西；用于合成词，如剥夺、剥削。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 剥夺bō duóto deprive; to strip of剥 = bō
- 剥削bō xuēto exploit; exploitation剥 = bō
to peel
to peel; to skin; to shell (colloquial)
去掉外面的皮或壳（口语）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 剥皮bāo píto peel; to skin剥 = bāo
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 剥 mean?
剥 (bō) means to strip off; to deprive (used in compound words).
How do you pronounce 剥?
Its main reading is bō. It also has a second reading, bāo, which only shows up in certain words such as 剥皮 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 剥 sometimes pronounced bāo?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 剥皮 it is read bāo.
What parts is 剥 made of?
录 (to record; to copy down) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 剥，裂也。从刀从录，录亦声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 剥 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 剥?
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 剥?
Common ones are 剥夺 and 剥削. The reading of 剥 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.