Chinese word

薄

Pronunciation

Pinyinbáo

Meaning

  • adjectivebland

Example

汤味太薄，要不要加点盐？tāng wèi tài báo yào bú yào jiā diǎn yán

The soup tastes too bland. Should we add a little salt?

Illustration for 薄 (bland)

More examples

夏天这床被子很薄，晚上会冷。xià tiān zhè chuáng bèi zi hěn báo wǎn shàng huì lěng

This summer quilt is very thin, so it will be cold at night.

Core concept

Something spread in a slight layer rather than gathered into a substantial one, whether the result feels thin, light, or weak in taste.

Common phrases

  • 汤味太薄tāng wèi tài báo

    bland

  • 纸很薄zhǐ hěn báo

    thin

Similar words

淡dàn: Mild in taste, with little flavor or strength.
瘦shòu: Slim in body because of little fat.
细xì: Narrow from side to side, with a small diameter or width.

Definition in Chinese

物体的厚度小，感觉不厚实。wù tǐ de hòu dù xiǎo gǎn jué bú hòu shí

Word origin

薄 (báo, "thin") combines 艹 (cǎo, "grass") + 溥 (pǔ, "broad"); the old thicket sense developed into the idea of something slight, while the second element marks the pronunciation.

Usage tips

  • This adjective has the reading báo, but 薄弱 (bóruò, "weak") has bó, showing why this character's pronunciation is best learned with each word.

Other meanings

  • thinadjective
  • lightadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word