泊

bó, pō

氵 + 白

Frequency#2043

Definitions

bó (verb) to anchor; to moor

pō (noun) lake

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 白 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 白

About

The character "泊" is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the water radical (氵) and the phonetic component "白", which together originally conveyed the idea of mooring a boat or anchoring in water. Its early meanings centered on nautical activities, but over time it also came to denote static bodies of water like lakes or marshes. The semantic range later expanded to include the general act of stopping or parking, applying to land vehicles in modern usage, reflecting a shift from specific maritime contexts to broader transportation terminology.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他把船泊在码头。

Tā bǎ chuán bó zài mǎtóu.

He moored the boat at the dock.

我的车泊在停车场。

Wǒ de chē bó zài tíngchē chǎng.

My car is parked in the parking lot.

请把船泊到那个港湾。

Qǐng bǎ chuán bó dào nàgè gǎngwān.

Please moor the boat to that harbor.

夜晚，许多游艇泊在湖边。

Yèwǎn, xǔduō yóutǐng bó zài hú biān.

At night, many yachts are moored by the lake.

这个港口可以泊大型货轮。

Zhège gǎngkǒu kěyǐ bó dàxíng huòlún.

This port can berth large cargo ships.

由于风暴，所有船只都必须泊在安全区域。

Yóuyú fēngbào, suǒyǒu chuánzhī dōu bìxū bó zài ānquán qūyù.

Due to the storm, all ships must moor in the safe area.

在繁忙的市区，找到泊车位非常困难。

Zài fánmáng de shìqū, zhǎodào bóchē wèi fēicháng kùnnán.

In the busy urban area, finding a parking space is very difficult.

为了确保安全，驾驶员必须将车辆泊在指定地点。

Wèile quèbǎo ānquán, jiàshǐyuán bìxū jiāng chēliàng bó zài zhǐdìng dìdiǎn.

To ensure safety, drivers must park their vehicles at designated locations.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 氵

Component: 白

泊