宝
treasure, precious
At a glance · 宝
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
宝字小篆从宀从玉从貝从缶，会意为屋中藏玉与贝，本义为珍宝（繁體寶）。金文已有宝字。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
宝本义为珍宝、宝贵之物。
Structure
会意字，从宀（屋）从玉从貝，表示家中珍藏的宝物。
At a glance
Pinyinbǎo
Radical宀
Strokes8
UnicodeU+5B9D
Character type会意
Theme器物
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
treasure, precious
Bao is an associative character of jade and shell in a house, meaning treasure and precious.
Français
trésor, précieux
Bao est un caractère associatif de jade et coquille dans une maison, signifiant trésor et précieux.
Español
tesoro, precioso
Bao es un carácter asociativo de jade y concha en casa, significa tesoro y precioso.
العربية
كنز، ثمين
باو حرف تركيبي ليشم وصدفة في بيت، يعني الكنز والثمين.
Русский
сокровище, драгоценный
Бао — ассоциативный знак нефрита и раковины в доме, означает сокровище и драгоценный.
Common words
- 宝贝bǎo bèitreasure
- 宝石bǎo shígem