包
bag; package; to wrap
bāo
What does 包 mean?
包 (bāo) is a flexible word that covers three connected ideas. As a noun it means 'bag' or 'package' — backpack (书包 shūbāo), handbag (手提包 shǒutíbāo), wallet-style bag (钱包 qiánbāo). As a verb it means 'to wrap' or 'to pack' — wrap a gift, wrap dumplings, package up leftovers (包饺子 'make dumplings,' 包礼物 'wrap a gift'). As a measure word it counts packaged units — 一包薯片 ('a bag of chips'), 一包烟 ('a pack of cigarettes').
The same character covers all three because the underlying image is 'something wrapped or enclosed.' Two notes for English speakers: when 包 means 'bag,' it usually appears in a compound that tells you which kind of bag (书包, 钱包, 背包); standing alone it is generic. As a verb in food contexts, 包 specifically means the action of folding wrappers around filling — used for dumplings, baozi, spring rolls.
Note: Neutral. Functions as a noun ('bag') in everyday speech and as a verb ('to wrap') in cooking and packaging contexts. Slightly less formal than 包裹 (bāoguǒ, 'parcel').
Character breakdown
to wrap; bag; package
Memory hook: The character itself looks like an enclosure wrapped around something — that's literally what 包 means: wrap, enclose, package.
Measure word for 包
Example sentences
我的钱包在书包里。
Wǒ de qiánbāo zài shūbāo lǐ.
My wallet is in my schoolbag.
spoken
妈妈在厨房包饺子。
Māma zài chúfáng bāo jiǎozi.
Mom is making dumplings in the kitchen.
spoken
请帮我打包一下。
Qǐng bāng wǒ dǎbāo yíxià.
Could you pack this up to go, please?
spoken, polite
他买了一包零食。
Tā mǎi le yì bāo língshí.
He bought a bag of snacks.
spoken
Common phrases with 包
Synonyms
袋 (袋子) is a 'sack' or flexible bag — plastic bag, rice sack, paper bag. 包 is more often a structured bag (backpack, handbag). A grocery bag is 袋子; a handbag is 包.
包裹 specifically means a 'parcel / package' — what the delivery person brings. 包 alone is broader: any bag or wrap. 我收到一个包裹 ('I got a parcel').
Don't confuse 包 with
Same pinyin different tone — 饱 (bǎo) is the adjective 'full (after eating).' 我吃饱了 ('I'm full') vs 我的书包 ('my schoolbag'). Tone is the only difference in sound, but the meanings are unrelated.
抱 (bào) is the verb 'to hug / hold in arms.' Looks similar — both have the 包 component — but 抱 adds the hand radical 扌. 抱孩子 ('hold the child') vs 包孩子 (wrong)
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 包 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this word shows up again and again in real sentences. Pinyin, translation, and the episode where you heard it — every time. Free to start, no card.