包 (bāo) is a Chinese character meaning “to wrap”. It is written from 勹 (wrap) and 巳 (sixth earthly branch), one enclosing the other, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “to wrap; bag”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
勹 + 巳
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿹勹巳；与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：共 5 笔，第 1–2 笔属 勹，第 3–5 笔属 巳
Memory aid
The wrapping arm (勹) folds all the way around 巳 — something small tucked inside and carried away. That is what 包 does: it wraps.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 面包miàn bāobread包 = bāo
- 书包shū bāoschoolbag; satchel包 = bāo
- 包扎bāo zāto bind up; to dress or bandage (a wound)包 = bāo
- 包含bāo hánto contain; to include包 = bāo
- 包庇bāo bìto shield (a wrongdoer); to cover up for包 = bāo
- 拎包līn bāoto carry a bag in one's hand; to tote a bag包 = bāo
- 包厢bāo xiāngprivate room (in a restaurant); box (in a theater)包 = bāo
- 包括bāo kuòto include; to consist of包 = bāoHSK 4
- 包揽bāo lǎnto take on everything; to monopolize; to sweep (all the prizes)包 = bāo
- 包袱bāo fúcloth-wrapped bundle; (figurative) burden包 = bāospoken asbāo fu
- 挎包kuà bāosatchel; shoulder bag包 = bāo
- 背包bēi bāobackpack; knapsack包 = bāo
- 脓包nóng bāopustule; (figuratively) a good-for-nothing包 = bāo
- 钱包qián bāowallet; purse包 = bāo
Go deeper
All readings
to wrap; bag
to wrap; to wrap up; a bag or bundle; a steamed bun; to undertake the whole of something
用纸、布等把东西裹起来；也指包好的东西、袋子，或把整件事全部承担下来。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 面包miàn bāobread包 = bāo
- 书包shū bāoschoolbag; satchel包 = bāo
- 包扎bāo zāto bind up; to dress or bandage (a wound)包 = bāo
- 包含bāo hánto contain; to include包 = bāo
- 包庇bāo bìto shield (a wrongdoer); to cover up for包 = bāo
- 拎包līn bāoto carry a bag in one's hand; to tote a bag包 = bāo
- 包厢bāo xiāngprivate room (in a restaurant); box (in a theater)包 = bāo
- 包括bāo kuòto include; to consist of包 = bāoHSK 4
- 包揽bāo lǎnto take on everything; to monopolize; to sweep (all the prizes)包 = bāo
- 包袱bāo fúcloth-wrapped bundle; (figurative) burden包 = bāospoken asbāo fu
- 挎包kuà bāosatchel; shoulder bag包 = bāo
- 背包bēi bāobackpack; knapsack包 = bāo
- 脓包nóng bāopustule; (figuratively) a good-for-nothing包 = bāo
- 钱包qián bāowallet; purse包 = bāo
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 包 mean?
包 (bāo) means to wrap; to wrap up; a bag or bundle; a steamed bun; to undertake the whole of something.
How do you pronounce 包?
It is pronounced bāo.
What parts is 包 made of?
勹 (wrap) and 巳 (sixth earthly branch), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿹勹巳；与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：共 5 笔，第 1–2 笔属 勹，第 3–5 笔属 巳. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 包 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 包?
勹. 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 包?
Common ones are 面包, 书包, 包扎. The reading of 包 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.