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How to Write 保 (bǎo) — Meaning “to protect; to guarantee; to keep”

bǎo HSK Level 3 9 strokes Radical: 亻

保 (bǎo) means "to protect; to guarantee; to keep" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 亻, and is HSK Level 3.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 46% of HSK Level 3 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 保护 (bǎo hù), 保证 (bǎo zhèng), 保险 (bǎo xiǎn).

Due to its 9 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 保 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 保 - bǎo

Practice Writing 保 (bǎo)

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How to Write 保

The character 保 (bǎo) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 亻 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does bǎo (保) Mean in Chinese?

保 means to protect; to guarantee; to keep.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 保 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character保
Pinyinbǎo (bao)
Meaningto protect; to guarantee; to keep
Strokes9
Radical亻
HSK Level3
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 保

The character 保 combines the radical 亻 (person) with 呆, which originally depicted a child with outstretched arms. In ancient forms, it showed an adult carrying a child on their back, symbolizing protection and nurture. This visual of a person safeguarding a child gives the meanings 'to protect, guarantee, keep.'

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a parent (亻) wrapping their arms around a small child (呆) to keep them safe from harm.

Common Words with 保

保护 bǎo hù
to protect; to safeguard
保证 bǎo zhèng
guarantee; ensure
保险 bǎo xiǎn
insurance

Example Sentences

我们要保护动物。

wǒ men yào bǎo hù dòng wù

We must protect animals.

我保证完成任务。

wǒ bǎo zhèng wán chéng rèn wù

I guarantee to complete the task.

你买保险了吗？

nǐ mǎi bǎo xiǎn le ma

Have you bought insurance?

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
保 (current) bǎo 9 亻
伯 bó 7 亻
估 gū / gù 7 亻
伲 nì 7 亻
Stroke order practice for 保 - bǎo

Practice Writing 保 (bǎo)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 保 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 保

保 is made of the radical 亻 (person) on the left and 呆 (dāi, meaning ‘foolish’ or ‘stay’) on the right. The person radical suggests a human action, while 呆 adds the idea of keeping or staying, together forming the concept of protecting or keeping someone safe.

More HSK Level 3 Characters

按àn把bǎ/bà握wò搬bān持chí存cún险xiǎn证zhèng被bèi领lǐng较jiào赛sài化huà标biāo达dá格gé演yǎn并bìng播bō补bǔ

Characters with Radical 亻

亿yì什shén/shí仁rén仂lè仃dīng仅jǐn仆pū/pú仇chóu/qiú仉zhǎng仍réng

Other 9-Stroke Characters

㒸suì㲋chuò㿽xī临lín举jǔ乹gān/qián亭tíng亮liàng亲qīn/qìng侮wǔ