抱 (bào) is a Chinese character meaning “to hold or carry in the arms”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 包 (to wrap; bundle), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to hold; to hug”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 包
Left–right structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（⿰扌包，3+5=8 笔）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) on the left, and 包 "to wrap" on the right: your arms wrap around something and hold it. 包 is also the sound clue — bāo becomes bào.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 拥抱yōng bàoto hug; to embrace抱 = bào
- 抱怨bào yuànto complain; to grumble抱 = bàoHSK 4
- 搂抱lǒu bàoto hug; to embrace抱 = bào
Go deeper
All readings
to hold; to hug
to hold or carry in the arms; to hug; to embrace; to cherish (an idea, a hope)
用手臂围住并托住；拥抱。也表示心里存有某种想法。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 拥抱yōng bàoto hug; to embrace抱 = bào
- 抱怨bào yuànto complain; to grumble抱 = bàoHSK 4
- 搂抱lǒu bàoto hug; to embrace抱 = bào
Sound component
包 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 抱 mean?
抱 (bào) means to hold or carry in the arms; to hug; to embrace; to cherish (an idea, a hope).
How do you pronounce 抱?
It is pronounced bào.
What parts is 抱 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 包 (to wrap; bundle), side by side. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（⿰扌包，3+5=8 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 抱 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 抱?
手. 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 抱?
Common ones are 拥抱. The reading of 抱 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.