HanziGuru.脖 · bó
脖
bó[bo2]Tone 2

neck

HSK 7
Guru Deep Dive

English · neck

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:10
Writing Balance Rule: The left flesh radical (月) is narrow and compressed, while the right phonetic component (孛) is wider and balanced, keeping the character compact.
1. Meaning

neck

collar of a garment (in compound words)
NounNeutralBound morpheme#anatomy#body parts
Sample Usage
  • 他的脖子很酸。
    tā de bózi hěn suān.
    His neck is very sore.
  • 围巾围在脖子上。
    wéijīn wéi zài bózi shàng.
    The scarf is wrapped around the neck.
2. Sound
/[pɔ³⁵]/Tone: 35
脖
bóbo2
++
´(35)
=bó
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
bo
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
b
Type: Unaspirated Bilabial
Sounds like: b sound in 'boy'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. A tissue in front of lips should stay still.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Lips pressed together then released gently without a strong burst of air.
Final Rhyme
o
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: o sound in 'more' or open 'aw'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'aw'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises from middle to high (35), matching an upward questioning intonation in English.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the rising Tone 2 (bó) with the low dipping Tone 3 (bǒ) or neutral tone in the compound bózi.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 starts at a mid pitch and sweeps sharply upward to a high pitch, exactly like asking a question with 'What?' or 'Huh?'.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 10 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left flesh radical (月) is narrow and compressed, while the right phonetic component (孛) is wider and balanced, keeping the character compact.

4. Components

Radical 月 · Flesh / Moon radical (when on the left, written as ⺼representing meat/body) (body parts)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 月 (indicates body parts or flesh (meat radical variant))

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 孛 (original sound: bó)

The body part radical (⺼) combines with the phonetic sound '孛' (bó) to designate a specific part of the anatomy: the neck.

  • ⺼ flesh/body part indicator on the left
  • 孛 phonetic sound provider on the right
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the flesh/body radical (⺼) to show it is a bodily feature, and 孛 (bó) which originally suggested sudden motion or a covering, lending its pronunciation.

Semantic Evolution: Always associated with the upper body connection between the head and shoulders.

  • The meat radical is written as 月 (flesh variant) on the left side of many anatomical characters.
6. Sinosphere
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine wearing a body-flesh scarf (月) around your neck, while shouting 'bó! bó!' as a bird flutters around your collar.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
孛
bèicometPhonetic Core (声旁)
勃
bóflourishing+ 力 (power)
哱
bōused in 呼哱哱[hu1 bo1 bo1]+ 口 (mouth)
悖
bèito go against; to be contrary to+ 忄 (heart)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
博(bó)
博 has the 尃 right side and means abundant or doctorate, whereas 脖 has the body/flesh radical ⺼ for the neck.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
他围了一条围巾在[___]上。
Clue: bó
Common Learner Pitfall

Forgetting that '脖' is usually paired with '子' (zi) to form the everyday noun '脖子' (bózi).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What body part does 脖 refer to when you see it with the flesh radical ⺼?
Production: How do you write the character for 'neck' (bó) combining the flesh radical and the sound component 孛?
Real-World Video Context

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

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