抱 (bào) — to hold in one's arms; to hug; to embrace; to cherish; to entertain (a feeling, hope, expectation); (colloquial, of clothes) to fit nicely
Definition
The everyday verb for 'to hug / hold in one's arms' and (figuratively) 'to hold/cherish' a hope or feeling — broader than 拥抱, which is more for formal embraces. Colloquially also means clothes 'fit' well (合身).
verb
to hold in one's armsto hugto embraceto cherishto entertain (a feeling, hope, expectation)(colloquial, of clothes) to fit nicely
Examples
- 抱。Mā ma wēn róu dì bào zhe xiǎo bǎo bao.The mother gently holds the baby.
- 抱。Tā duì wèi lái bào zhe hěn dà de xìn xīn.He has great confidence in the future.
- 抱，。Zhè jiàn yī fu hěn bào shēn, chuān zhuó hěn shū fu.This piece of clothing fits the body nicely and is comfortable to wear.
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.
抱 pairs 扌 (hand) with 包; the hand part shows holding, while 包 supplies the sound and the sense of wrapping.
Appears in
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