抱

bào

verb HSK 4 #1,281

Meanings

Contains the hand radical 扌, as embracing is done with the arms/hands.

Māma bào zhe háizi.

The mother is holding the child in her arms.

Tāmen hùxiāng yōngbào.

They hugged each other.

Tā bào qǐ le nà zhī xiǎo māo.

She picked up the kitten in her arms.

usage

抱歉 (bàoqiàn) means sorry/apologetic. 抱怨 (bàoyuàn) means to complain. Both use 抱 in abstract senses.

grammar

抱着 (bào zhe) with 着 shows the ongoing state of holding.

抱 bào