HanziGuru.暴 · bào
暴
bào[bao4]Tone 4

violent, sudden, cruel, to expose

HSK 6
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · violent, sudden, cruel, to expose

Cached lesson
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Topology:Top-bottom
Strokes:15
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the top components compact and let the bottom radical (氺/水 variant) spread out evenly to maintain vertical equilibrium.
1. Meaning

violent or sudden

cruelto show or exposeto injuresurname Bao
Adjective / VerbNeutral#nature#emotion#behavior
Sample Usage
  • 外面刮着暴风雨。
    wàimiàn guāzhe bàofēngyǔ.
    There is a violent rainstorm blowing outside.
  • 请不要暴 露你的隐私。
    qǐng búyào bàolù nǐ de yǐnsī.
    Please do not expose your privacy.
2. Sound
/[pɑʊ̯⁵¹]/Tone: 51
暴
bàobao4
++
`(51)
=bào
Initial Consonant
b
Type: Unaspirated Bilabial
Sounds like: b sound as in boy
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. A tissue in front of lips should stay still.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Both lips pressed together lightly before releasing into the vowel.
Final Rhyme
ao
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: ao rhymes with ow in cow
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ow'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges straight down, exactly like shouting a sharp 'No!' in English.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the 4th tone sharp fall with the 3rd tone dipping contour, turning bào into bǎo.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A swift, sharp chop downward in the air, matching the abrupt and forceful nature of the word.
3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 15 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the top components compact and let the bottom radical (氺/水 variant) spread out evenly to maintain vertical equilibrium.

4. Components

Radical 日 · Sun Radical (sun, day)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 水 (Water / liquid splash element at the bottom)

Visualize the sun (日) beating down fiercely on someone breaking apart (共) until sweat or water splashes everywhere (氺), symbolizing a sudden, violent outburst.

  • 日 sun / day
  • 共 together / all
  • 氺 water variant
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally depicted hands holding something up to dry in the blazing sun, later expanding to represent harsh sunlight, violence, and sudden fury.

Semantic Evolution: From scorching, violent heat of the sun to anything sudden, intense, cruel, or exposed to the elements.

  • The ancient form emphasizes exposure to extreme weather or harsh elements.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ホウ, ブク / Kun: あかす, はさむ
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
폭
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Under the blazing sun (日), everyone together (共) jumps into the water (氺) because of a *sudden* and *violent* heatwave.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
曝
pùto expose to the sunAdd the sun/day meaning element on top or left, referring strictly to sun exposure.
爆
bàoto explode, burstAdd the fire radical (火) on the left for fire explosion.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
报(bào)
报 means to report and uses the hand radical (扌), whereas 暴 involves violent heat/sun/water elements.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
外面突然下起了[___]雨。
Clue: bào
Common Learner Pitfall

Mistaking the complicated top-middle structure for simpler radicals, leading to stroke omission during handwriting.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 暴, what core concepts of intensity or exposure come to mind?
Production: How do you write the character for 'violent / sudden' (bào) with 15 strokes?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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