拥抱 (yōng bào) — to hug, to embrace | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

拥抱 is the everyday verb for a full mutual hug. Use 抱 for a looser one-arm hold, and 怀抱 for the figurative sense of 'cherishing' an idea or hope.

verb

to hugto embrace

Examples

拥抱。
Tā gěi le mā ma yí gè wēn nuǎn de yōng bào.
She gave her mom a warm hug.
，拥抱。
Péng you jiàn miàn shí, hù xiāng yōng bào le yí xià.
When friends met, they hugged each other for a moment.
拥抱。
Wǒ men yào xué huì yōng bào biàn huà.
We need to learn to embrace change.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

拥yōnghold close

拥 means to hold close, and 抱 means to hug; together they picture holding someone in one's arms.

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.

扌用拥

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

用

用yòng拥yōng

Same sound today

拥 pairs 扌 (hand) with 用, which gives the sound.

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

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