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泡 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
泡pāopuffedHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoswollenHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāospongyHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāosmall lake (esp. in place names)HSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoclassifier for urine or fecesHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāobubbleHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāofoamHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoblister (i.e. skin bubble)HSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoto soakHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoto steepHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoto infuseHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoto dawdleHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoto shilly-shallyHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoto hang aboutHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoto pick up (a girl)HSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoto get off with (a sexual partner)HSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāobubble, blister; swollen, puffed upHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoclassifier for occurrences of an actionHSK 6, unknown, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pāoclassifier for number of infusionsHSK 6, unknown, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàopuffedHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoswollenHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàospongyHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàosmall lake (esp. in place names)HSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoclassifier for urine or fecesHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàobubbleHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàofoamHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoblister (i.e. skin bubble)HSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoto soakHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoto steepHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoto infuseHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoto dawdleHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoto shilly-shallyHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoto hang aboutHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoto pick up (a girl)HSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoto get off with (a sexual partner)HSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàobubble, blister; swollen, puffed upHSK 6, v, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoclassifier for occurrences of an actionHSK 6, unknown, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
泡pàoclassifier for number of infusionsHSK 6, unknown, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2230, Hard
pào(pao4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1puffed
  2. 2swollen
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
泡pào(pao4)

The character 泡 (pāo) primarily means 'to soak' or 'to infuse,' often referring to the process of steeping tea or food in liquid. It can also denote 'bubbles' or 'foam,' as seen in contexts like drinks or skin conditions. Additionally, it has informal meanings related to social interactions, such as 'to dawdle' or 'to pick up a girl.'

Strokes8Radical氵Frequency#2230DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

泡茶 (pāo chá) is a significant part of Chinese tea culture, where the method of steeping tea can greatly affect its flavor. Understanding this term can enhance your appreciation of tea ceremonies in China.

Memory Tip

Imagine a sponge (泡) soaking up water and becoming puffed up and swollen. The sound 'pāo' reminds you of 'puff' and 'foam,' evoking images of bubbles in a bath or a frothy drink.

Meanings of 泡

pào(pao4)
primary
1puffed
2swollen
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 泡

泡Simplified
8Strokes
氵Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2230Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 泡

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Podcast: 泡

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AI Study Notes for 泡

Quick Contrast

泡 (pào) vs 浸 (jìn) — use 泡 for informal or social contexts, while 浸 is more formal and specifically refers to soaking in liquid.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a sponge (泡) soaking up water and becoming puffed up and swollen. The sound 'pāo' reminds you of 'puff' and 'foam,' evoking images of bubbles in a bath or a frothy drink.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 泡 with other similar-sounding verbs. It's informal and often used in casual contexts, especially when talking about social situations. Common collocations include 泡茶 (pāo chá, to steep tea) and 泡澡 (pāo zǎo, to take a soak in the bath).

HSK Study Tips

While 泡 is not in the official HSK lists, it connects well with other verbs related to actions and processes at HSK 3 and above, like 煮 (zhǔ, to boil) and 浸 (jìn, to immerse). Focus on its various meanings and uses in different contexts.

Cultural Note

泡茶 (pāo chá) is a significant part of Chinese tea culture, where the method of steeping tea can greatly affect its flavor. Understanding this term can enhance your appreciation of tea ceremonies in China.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 泡 with 浸 (jìn), which means to immerse. For example, saying '我浸茶' instead of '我泡茶' (I steep tea) is incorrect. Remember to use 泡 specifically for steeping or soaking.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 泡

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Etymology of 泡

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 包 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)包
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 泡?

Decomposition of 泡

IDS Structure⿰氵包
泡Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
包Bao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 泡?

Write 泡

泡

Practice writing 泡 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 泡

泡 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 19 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

手上起的水____让我心烦。

I was bothered about the blister on my hand.

Example Sentences for 泡 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
手上起的水泡让我心烦。

shǒu shàng qǐ de shuǐ pào ràng wǒ xīn fán。

I was bothered about the blister on my hand.
2
经过一连串充满敌意的争吵，交易泡汤了。

jīng guò yī lián chuàn chōng mǎn dí yì de zhēng chǎo， ， jiāo yì pào tāng。

The deal ended after a series of rancorous disputes.
3
有了肥皂、水、泡泡和小船，孩子们都喜欢洗澡。

yǒu le féi zào、 、、 shuǐ 、 pào pào hé， xiǎo chuán ， hái zǐ mén dū xǐ。

With soap and water, bubbles and boats, children love bathtime.
4
泡个热水澡是我的最大乐事。

pào gè rè shuǐ zǎo shì wǒ de zuì dà lè shì。

Hot baths are my favourite luxury.
5
把水泡挑破不是个好主意。

bǎ shuǐ pào tiāo pò bù shì gè hǎo zhǔ yì。

It is not a good idea to burst a blister.
6
，又一份好工作泡汤了。

， ， yòu yī fèn hǎo gōng zuò pào tāng。

Ho hum, another nice job down the drain.
7
那的确一度使进一步的和平谈判成为泡影。

nà de què yī dù shǐ jìn yī bù de hé píng tán pàn chéng wéi pào yǐng。

That really knocked back any hope for further peace negotiations.
8
40瓦的灯泡完全够亮了，并且不会晃眼。

40 40 wǎ de dēng pào wán quán gòu liàng， le ， bìng qiě bù huì。

A 40 watt bulb would be quite sufficient and would not obtrude.
9
特别推荐想要放松情绪、缓解肌肉酸痛的人泡泥浆浴。

tè bié tuī jiàn xiǎng yào fàng sōng qíng xù、 、 huǎn jiě jī ròu suān tòng de rén pào ní jiāng。

The Mud Bath is particularly recommended for relieving tension and stiff muscles.
10
这项新发明能保证啤酒始终保持丰富的泡沫。

zhè xiàng xīn fā míng néng bǎo zhèng pí jiǔ shǐ zhōng bǎo chí fēng fù de pào mò。

The new invention ensures the beer keeps a full, frothy head.

Cultural Notes for 泡

🏮Cultural insight

泡茶 (pāo chá) is a significant part of Chinese tea culture, where the method of steeping tea can greatly affect its flavor. Understanding this term can enhance your appreciation of tea ceremonies in China.

Word Family of 泡

Compounds1
萢
Words Containing This Character20
泡pàobubble
泡沫pàomòfoam
泡菜pickled cabbage
灯泡dēngpàolight bulb燈泡
泡泡bubbles
浸泡jìnpàoto steep
泡汤to dawdle泡湯
气泡qìpàobubble氣泡
水泡bubble
泡面instant noodles泡麵
泡泡糖bubble gum
电灯泡light bulb電燈泡
泡茶to make tea
泡影mirage
泡妞to pick up girls
肺泡pulmonary alveolus
起泡to bubble
卵泡follicle
泡沫塑料styrofoam
冲泡to infuse (tea)沖泡
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 泡 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 泡

In the context of tea, 泡 (pāo) means to steep or infuse the tea leaves in hot water.