抱抱 (bào bào) — to hug, to give a cuddle | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A reduplicated, casual version of 抱 — 'to give a hug / cuddle.' Often used as a noun (give someone a hug) or an invitation ("来抱抱一下").

verb

to hugto give a cuddle

Examples

抱抱。
Tā gěi le hái zi yí gè bào bào.
She gave the child a hug.
，抱抱。
Wǒ men hǎo jiǔ méi jiàn le, lái bào bào yí xià ba.
We haven't seen each other for a long time, let's hug.
抱抱。
Tā xiǎng bào bào nà zhī kě ài de xiǎo gǒu.
She wants to hug that cute little dog.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

抱抱 uses 抱 hug twice to suggest a light, affectionate hug.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

扌包抱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

Same sound today

抱 pairs 扌 (hand) with 包; the hand part shows holding, while 包 supplies the sound and the sense of wrapping.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

扌包抱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

Same sound today

抱 pairs 扌 (hand) with 包; the hand part shows holding, while 包 supplies the sound and the sense of wrapping.

Appears in

Emotions & Feelings

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