How to write 保 (bǎo) — Stroke Order, Radical & Practice

bǎo to safeguard, to protect, to defend, to care for 9 strokes · Radical 亻 (man) · HSK 4 required writing character

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced bǎo.

to safeguard
to protect
to defend
to care for

Stroke Order & Practice

Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.

Decomposition

保 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Left + Right. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

保 =

亻 left man

呆 right dull

Radical

The radical of 保 is 亻 — meaning man. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

Other HSK 4 characters that share this radical: 任使倒低例俩份停.

How the character is built

保 is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic component 亻 (person) carries the meaning, while the phonetic component 呆 originally indicated the sound.

HSK 4 Words Containing 保

保护 bǎohù to protect

我们要保护环境。

Wǒmen yào bǎohù huánjìng.

We should protect the environment.

保证 bǎozhèng to guarantee; guarantee

我保证不会迟到。

Wǒ bǎozhèng bú huì chídào.

I guarantee I won't be late.

环保 huánbǎo protection;

environmental 我们要用环保的购物袋。

Wǒmen yào yòng huánbǎo de gòuwù dài.

eco-friendly We should use eco-friendly shopping bags.

FAQ

What does 保 mean in Chinese?

保 (bǎo) means to safeguard, to protect, to defend, to care for. It is one of the 150 characters required for the HSK 4 writing section.

How many strokes does 保 have?

保 is written in 9 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 保?

The radical of 保 is 亻 (man). Other HSK 4 characters with the same radical include 任, 使, 倒, 低, 例.

What is the pinyin for 保?

保 is pronounced bǎo.

What HSK 4 words use 保?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 保 appears in 3 words, including 保护 (bǎohù), 保证 (bǎozhèng), 环保 (huánbǎo). See the full list above.