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褒

bāo
verb #32,051

Meanings

  1. 1 to praise
  2. 2 to commend
  3. 3 to honor
  4. 4 (archaic, of clothing) loose, flowing, generous

Examples

他的工作受到上级的褒奖。
Tā de gōngzuò shòudào shàngjí de bāojiǎng.
His work received commendation from his superiors.
这个词是褒义的，不是贬义。
Zhège cí shì bāoyì de, bú shì biǎnyì.
This word has a positive connotation, not a negative one.

Tips

usage
On its own 褒 is literary; in modern use it almost only appears in compounds, especially the antonym pair 褒贬 (bāobiǎn, 'praise and disparagement') and the linguistics terms 褒义词 (bāoyìcí, 'word with positive connotation') vs 贬义词 (biǎnyìcí, 'word with negative connotation'). Knowing this pair is essential for talking about word choice.
memory
The 衣 (yī, 'clothing') component on the outside hints at the original meaning — 'large, flowing robes' (褒衣博带), the dress of Confucian scholars. From 'roomy clothes' the meaning extended to 'large/generous treatment of someone', then to 'praise' specifically.

Stroke Order

褒 bāo