袍

páo

包 + 衤

Definitions

páo gown (lined)

Etymology

A cloth 衤 wrap 包; 包 also provides the pronunciation

About

袍 is a phono-semantic compound that combines the semantic component 衤 (yī, 'clothing') with the phonetic component 包 (bāo, 'to wrap'). It denotes a long, lined robe, a gown, or a traditional full-length garment. The radical 衤 places it in the category of clothing, while 包 provides the sound and also hints at how a robe envelops the body. This structure efficiently fuses a clothing classifier with a phonetic that reinforces the physical function of the garment. Thus, the character is a meaningful fusion of form and sound.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他穿着一件新袍子。

Tā chuānzhe yī jiàn xīn páozi.

He is wearing a new robe.

妈妈买了一件丝绸旗袍。

Māmā mǎile yī jiàn sīchóu qípáo.

Mom bought a silk cheongsam.

戏台上演员的袍子很华丽。

Xìtái shàng yǎnyuán de páozi hěn huálì.

The actor's robe on the stage is very magnificent.

这件睡袍的质地非常柔软。

Zhè jiàn shuìpáo de zhìdì fēicháng róuruǎn.

The material of this nightgown is very soft.

皇帝身披一件绣龙的黄袍。

Huángdì shēn pī yī jiàn xiù lóng de huángpáo.

The emperor wore a yellow robe embroidered with dragons.

神父穿着黑色的长袍主持仪式。

Shénfù chuānzhe hēisè de chángpáo zhǔchí yíshì.

The priest wore a black cassock to conduct the ceremony.

在古代，官袍的颜色代表不同品级。

Zài gǔdài, guānpáo de yánsè dàibiǎo bùtóng pǐnjí.

In ancient times, the color of an official's robe represented different ranks.

那件沾满尘土的战袍见证了他的戎马生涯。

Nà jiàn zhānmǎn chéntǔ de zhànpáo jiànzhèngle tā de róngmǎ shēngyá.

That battle robe, covered in dust, bore witness to his military career.

Related Characters

Component: 包

Component: 衤

袍