爆

bào

暴 + 火

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

bào (verb) to explode; to burst

bào (verb) to quick fry; to quick boil

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 暴 represents the sound.

About

爆 (bào) is a phono-semantic compound. The component 火 (huǒ), "fire", placed on the left, marks the character's connection to fire and heat. The right side, 暴 (bào), an independent character meaning "sudden" or "violent", provides the pronunciation and also hints at the abrupt, forceful nature of the action. Originally, 爆 referred to green bamboo or wet wood that cracks, splits, and bursts open with a loud noise when exposed to flames or extreme heat. Over time, its meaning extended to cover detonations, the violent discharge of explosives, sudden emotional episodes, and the culinary technique of quick-frying food in very hot oil.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢吃爆米花。

Wǒ xǐhuān chī bàomǐhuā.

I like to eat popcorn.

气球突然爆炸了。

Qìqiú túrán bàozhà le.

The balloon suddenly exploded.

这部电影很火爆。

Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn huǒbào.

This movie is very popular.

新闻爆料了一个大秘密。

Xīnwén bàoliào le yī gè dà mìmì.

The news revealed a big secret.

音乐会的门票已经爆满了。

Yīnyuèhuì de ménpiào yǐjīng bàomǎn le.

The concert tickets are already sold out.

比赛结果爆冷，弱队赢了。

Bǐsài jiéguǒ bàolěng, ruò duì yíng le.

The game result was an upset, the weak team won.

他的笑话让全场爆笑不止。

Tā de xiàohuà ràng quán chǎng bàoxiào bùzhǐ.

His joke made the whole audience laugh uncontrollably.

高速公路上有辆车爆胎了。

Gāosù gōnglù shàng yǒu liàng chē bàotāi le.

A car had a tire blowout on the highway.

Related Characters

Component: 暴

Component: 火

爆