朴 (pǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “simple”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 卜 (divination), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “simple; plain”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 卜
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·木部：朴，木皮也。从木卜聲
Memory aid
A tree (木) with nothing on it but a plain stick mark (卜) — no carving, no paint. That bare, unfinished look is what 朴 means: simple.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 朴素pǔ sùsimple and plain朴 = pǔ
- 简朴jiǎn pǔsimple and unadorned (of a lifestyle or style)朴 = pǔspoken asjián pǔ
- 俭朴jiǎn pǔthrifty and plain; simple and unextravagant朴 = pǔspoken asjián pǔ
- 淳朴chún pǔsimple and honest; unspoiled朴 = pǔ
Go deeper
All readings
simple; plain
simple; plain; unadorned; without decoration or pretence
不加修饰的；简单朴实。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 朴素pǔ sùsimple and plain朴 = pǔ
- 简朴jiǎn pǔsimple and unadorned (of a lifestyle or style)朴 = pǔspoken asjián pǔ
- 俭朴jiǎn pǔthrifty and plain; simple and unextravagant朴 = pǔspoken asjián pǔ
- 淳朴chún pǔsimple and honest; unspoiled朴 = pǔ
Rare readings, not taught: piáo, pò
Sound component
卜 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 朴 mean?
朴 (pǔ) means simple; plain; unadorned; without decoration or pretence.
How do you pronounce 朴?
It is pronounced pǔ.
What parts is 朴 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 卜 (divination), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·木部：朴，木皮也。从木卜聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 朴 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 朴?
木. 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 朴?
Common ones are 朴素 and 简朴. The reading of 朴 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.