How to Write 豹 (bào) — Meaning “Leopard”

Imagine the left radical 豸 looks like a cat's face with ears, and the right part 勺 looks like a leopard's tail curling into a circle. Or think of a leopard's spots as dots—the small circle inside 勺 represents one spot.

Write the left radical 豸 first: start with the top dot, then the long horizontal stroke, then the vertical hook. The right part 勺 should be narrow—a short left-falling stroke, then a horizontal hook, and finally a small dot inside. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or missing the dot.

All three share the left radical 豸, but the right side differs: 豹 has 勺 (leopard), 豺 has 才 (jackal), and 豻 has 干 (a type of wild dog). Visually, 豹's right side looks like a wrapped shape with a dot, while 豺's right side is 才 (a cross and a hook).

豹 appears in animal names like 猎豹 (cheetah) and 豹子 (leopard), and in fashion with 豹纹 (leopard print). Culturally, the leopard symbolizes speed and bravery—phrases like 豹子胆 mean "great courage," similar to saying someone has a lion's heart.

Common words containing 豹 include: 猎豹 (liè bào) — Cheetah; 豹纹 (bào wén) — Leopard print; 豹子 (bào zi) — Leopard.