包bāo

包

Hover to feel · click to explore

Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified Chinese (簡體). 包 (bāo, "to wrap") remains unchanged from its traditional form — the character pictographically shows a fetus (巳) curled inside a wrapping membrane, capturing the essence of containment that has guided its meaning for millennia. As a component it appears in 抱 (embrace), 饱 (full), 泡 (bubble), 跑 (run) and numerous other characters.

← → navigate · swipe on mobile

Shuowen

包 (bāo) means to wrap or envelop. The oracle bone script depicts a fetus curled inside a womb, the outer curve representing the enclosing membrane. The modern character retains the outer wrapper and inner curve, signifying the action of containing or covering.

Pinyin

bāo· HSK 1

包bāo

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin