báo
thin; flimsy
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这个纸很薄。
Zhège zhǐ hěn báo.
This paper is very thin.
他很瘦，身体很薄。
Tā hěn shòu, shēntǐ hěn báo.
He is very thin, with a thin body.
这本书的内容很薄弱。
Zhè běn shū de nèiróng hěn báoruò.
The content of this book is very weak.
稀薄 (xī bó)
thin, sparse
轻薄 (qīng bó)
frivolous, shallow
厚 (hòu)
thick
浓 (nóng)
dense
The Chinese character 薄 (báo) is composed of two parts: the radical 爫 (huǒ), which represents fire, and the phonetic component 薄 (bó). The radical 爫 indicates that the character is related to fire, while the phonetic component 薄 provides a clue to its pronunciation.The original meaning of 薄 is "thin" or "shallow". This can be seen in the following examples:- 薄饼 (bóbǐng): thin pancake- 薄纱 (bósā): thin gauze- 薄荷 (bóhé): mint (a plant with thin leaves)In addition to its literal meaning, 薄 can also be used in a figurative sense to mean "weak" or "insubstantial". For example:- 薄弱 (bòruò): weak- 薄情 (bòqíng): heartless- 薄利 (bòlì): small profitThe character 薄 can also be used as a verb, meaning "to make thin" or "to dilute". For example:- 把汤薄一下 (bǎ tāng báo yīxià): Dilute the soup a bit.- 把面粉薄一点 (bǎ miànfěn báo yīdiǎn): Make the flour a bit thinner.Overall, the character 薄 has a rich history and a variety of meanings. It is an important character to learn for HSK learners, as it is used in a wide range of contexts.
