剥 (bāo) — to peel, to skin, to shell
Definition
Used for removing a soft or natural outer layer (fruit skin, eggshell, walnut shell). Contrast with 扒 (bā), which is more physical/forced (pulling off hide, tearing down). Negate with 不剥, not 没剥.
verb
to peelto skinto shell
Examples
- 剥。Mā ma zài chú fáng bāo tǔ dòu pí.Mom is peeling potatoes in the kitchen.
- 剥。Tā zhèng zài bāo jī dàn.She is shelling a boiled egg.
- 剥。Tā shú liàn de bāo zhe hé tao.He skillfully shelled the walnuts.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 剝; 剥 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù剝bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 剝 uses 彔 for its sound and 刂, a knife; the simplified 剥 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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