薄

薄 U+8584, 薄 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8584 ← 薃 [U+8583] CJK Unified Ideographs 薅 → [U+8585]

Translingual

Stroke order

Mainland China and Japan

Han character

薄 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+13, 16 (Japan, Mainland), 17 (Hong Kong, Taiwan) strokes, cangjie input 廿水戈戈 (TEII), four-corner 4414₆, composition ⿱艹溥)

Derived characters

• 欂, 礴, 鑮, 䭦

Additional Derived Characters

• 𭳭, 𱬫, 𮂣, 𦢸, 𮕓, 𨏫, 𬮁, 𩍿, 𩏵, 𩽛, 𪎄, 𪚂

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1060, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 32083
• Dae Jaweon: page 1523, character 40
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3307, character 3
• Unihan data for U+8584

Chinese

trad.		薄
simp. #		薄

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 薄
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (甫) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
豧	*pʰoːs, *pʰa, *pʰas
縛	*baːɡs, *baɡ
逋	*paː
餔	*paː, *baːs
晡	*paː
庯	*paː
陠	*paː, *pʰaː
鵏	*paː, *baːs
峬	*paː
誧	*paː, *pʰaː, *pʰaːʔ, *pʰaːs
秿	*paː, *pʰa, *baʔ
鯆	*paː, *pʰaː, *paʔ
補	*paːʔ
圃	*paːʔ, *paːs
鋪	*pʰaː, *pʰaːs, *pʰa
痡	*pʰaː, *pʰa
浦	*pʰaːʔ
烳	*pʰaːʔ
溥	*pʰaːʔ, *paːɡ
悑	*pʰaːs
酺	*baː
匍	*baː
蜅	*baː, *paʔ
脯	*baː, *paʔ
葡	*baː
蒱	*baː
蒲	*baː
簿	*baːʔ, *baːɡ
捕	*baːs
哺	*baːs
簠	*pa, *paʔ, *pʰas
甫	*paʔ
黼	*paʔ
莆	*paʔ
俌	*paʔ, *pʰaʔ
郙	*paʔ, *pʰa
傅	*paɡs
搏	*paɡs, *paːɡ, *pʰaːɡ
麱	*pʰa
尃	*pʰa
榑	*ba
輔	*baʔ
鬴	*baʔ
賻	*baɡs
博	*paːɡ
髆	*paːɡ
鎛	*paːɡ
猼	*paːɡ
餺	*paːɡ
簙	*paːɡ
鑮	*paːɡ, *baːɡ
欂	*paːɡ, *baɡ, *breːɡ
蒪	*pʰaːɡ
膊	*pʰaːɡ
薄	*baːɡ
礡	*baːɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *baːɡ): semantic 艹 + phonetic 溥 (OC *pʰaːʔ, *paːɡ).

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ba (“thin; flat”) (STEDT). Cognate with Burmese ပါး (pa:, “thin”), Jingpho pha (pha³¹, “thin”).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): bó, báo (bo², bao²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄛˊ, ㄅㄠˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): bo²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): бә (bə, I)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bok⁶ / bik¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): pho̍k

  (Hailu, HRS): pog^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): pog⁶

• Northern Min (KCR): bò̤
• Eastern Min (BUC): bŏk
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): po̍h / po̍k

  (Teochew, Peng'im): boh⁸ / bêg⁴ / bo⁷

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁸boq; ⁶bu / ⁸boq

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bó
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bó
    • Wade–Giles: po²
    • Yale: bwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bor
    • Palladius: бо (bo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu̯ɔ³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland, variant in Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: báo
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄠˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: báo
    • Wade–Giles: pao²
    • Yale: báu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: baur
    • Palladius: бао (bao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɑʊ̯³⁵/

Note:

• bó - literary (“weak, poor, stingy”);
• báo - vernacular (“thin”);
• bò - only used in 薄荷.

• • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: bo²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: bo
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /po²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: бә (bə, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pə²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: bok⁶ / bik¹
    • Yale: bohk / bīk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bok⁹ / bik⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: bog⁶ / big¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɔːk̚²/, /pɪk̚⁵/
Note: bik1 - common alternative pronunciation for “to approach”.
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: pho̍k
    • Hakka Romanization System: pog
    • Hagfa Pinyim: pog⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /pʰok̚⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: pog^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /pʰok²/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: pog⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /pʰɔk̚⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: bò̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɔ⁴²/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: bŏk
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pouʔ⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: po̍h / po̍k
    • Tâi-lô: po̍h / po̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: poih, pok
    • IPA (Xiamen): /poʔ⁴/, /pɔk̚⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /poʔ²⁴/, /pɔk̚²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /poʔ¹²¹/, /pɔk̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /poʔ⁴/, /pɔk̚⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /pɤʔ⁴/, /pɔk̚⁴/
Note:
• po̍h - colloquial (“thin; meagre; weak; surname”);
• po̍k - literary.
• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: boh⁸ / bêg⁴ / bo⁷
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: po̍h / pek / pō
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /poʔ⁴/, /pek̚²/, /po¹¹/
Note:
• bêg4 - “to approach”;
• bo7 - only used in 薄荷.
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁸boq; ⁶bu
    • MiniDict: boh^入; bu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁵boq; ³bu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /boʔ¹²/, /bu²³/
  • (Northern: Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁸boq
    • MiniDict: boh^入
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /boʔ²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: bak

Rime
Character	薄
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	鐸 (104)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	傍各切
Baxter	bak
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/bwɑk̚/
Pan Wuyun	/bʷɑk̚/
Shao Rongfen	/buɑk̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/bwak̚/
Li Rong	/buɑk̚/
Wang Li	/buɑk̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/bʱwɑk̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	bó
Expected Cantonese Reflex	bok6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[b]ˤak/

  (Zhengzhang): /*baːɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	薄
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	bó
Middle Chinese	‹ bak ›
Old Chinese	/*[b]ˁak/
English	thin
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	薄
Reading #	1/1
No.	3487
Phonetic component	甫
Rime group	鐸
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	泊
Old Chinese	/*baːɡ/

Definitions

薄

1. thin (not thick); flimsy

   薄布  ―  báo bù  ―  flimsy cloth

   如履薄冰  ―  rúlǚbóbīng  ―  to be very careful (literally, “like treading on thin ice”)

   呢件衫好薄。 [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

   ne¹ gin⁶ saam¹ hou² bok⁶. [Jyutping]

   This shirt is very light.

2. slight; meagre; small

   薄酬  ―  bóchóu  ―  small reward

   • 德薄而位尊，知小而謀大，力小而任重，鮮不及矣。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     德薄而位尊，知小而谋大，力小而任重，鲜不及矣。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE

     Dé bó ér wèi zūn, zhī xiǎo ér móu dà, lì xiǎo ér rèn zhòng, xiān bùjí yǐ. [Pinyin]

     Virtue small and office high; wisdom small and plans great; strength small and burden heavy: - where such conditions exist, it is seldom that they do not end (in evil).

3. poor; infertile
4. cold in manner; indifferent
5. ungenerous; unkind; mean

   刻薄  ―  kèbó  ―  mean; unkind

6. (of taste) weak; light; not strong

   酒味很薄。  ―  Jiǔ wèi hěn báo.  ―  The wine is very weak.

   • 脣竭則齒寒，魯酒薄而邯鄲圍，聖人生而大盜起。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     唇竭则齿寒，鲁酒薄而邯郸围，圣人生而大盗起。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Chún jié zé chǐ hán, Lǔ jiǔ bó ér Hándān wéi, shèngrén shēng ér dàdào qǐ. [Pinyin]

     'When the lips are gone the teeth are cold;' 'The poor wine of Lu gave occasion to the siege of Han-dan;' 'When sages are born great robbers arise.'

7. to belittle; to despise

   厚此薄彼  ―  hòucǐbóbǐ  ―  to favour one and slight the other

8. alternative form of 亳 (Bó, “capital of Yin”)
9. to reduce

   • 王如施仁政於民，省刑罰，薄稅斂，深耕易耨，…… [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     王如施仁政于民，省刑罚，薄税敛，深耕易耨，…… [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     wáng rú shī rénzhèng yú mín, xǐng xíngfá, bó shuìliǎn, shēngēngyìnòu,...... [Pinyin]

     If Your Majesty will indeed dispense a benevolent government to the people, being sparing in the use of punishments and fines, and making the taxes and levies light, so causing that the fields shall be ploughed deep, and the weeding of them be carefully attended to…

10. (literary) to approach

    日薄西山  ―  rìbóxīshān  ―  to approach death

    • 薄暮雷電，歸何憂？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
      薄暮雷电，归何忧？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

      From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

      Bómù léidiàn, guī hé yōu? [Pinyin]

      (please add an English translation of this usage example)

11. a surname

    薄一波  ―  Bó Yībō  ―  Bo Yibo

Synonyms

• (Southwestern Mandarin, Jianghuai Mandarin) 𣻏 (jiāo, “thin”)

Antonyms

• 厚 (hòu, “thick”)

See also

• 扁 (biǎn)

Compounds

• 不修帷薄
• 不薄 (bùbó)
• 佳人命薄
• 佳人薄命 (jiārénbómìng)
• 佻薄
• 倚薄
• 偷薄
• 傍薄
• 儉薄 / 俭薄
• 儇薄
• 分淺緣薄 / 分浅缘薄
• 分薄緣慳 / 分薄缘悭
• 刻薄 (kèbó)
• 刻薄寡恩
• 力薄才疏
• 功微德薄 (gōngwēidébó)
• 勢單力薄 / 势单力薄 (shìdānlìbó)
• 卑薄
• 厚今薄古
• 厚古薄今 (hòugǔbójīn)
• 厚彼薄此
• 厚此薄彼 (hòucǐbóbǐ)
• 厚薄 (hòubó)
• 厭薄 / 厌薄 (yànbó)
• 叢薄 / 丛薄
• 名微德薄
• 命小福薄
• 命薄
• 命薄如花
• 命薄相窮 / 命薄相穷
• 單薄 / 单薄 (dānbó)
• 嘴尖舌薄
• 噴薄 / 喷薄 (pēnbó)
• 噴薄欲出 / 喷薄欲出
• 如履薄冰 (rúlǚbóbīng)
• 妄自菲薄 (wàngzìfěibó)
• 嬰薄 / 婴薄
• 官卑祿薄 / 官卑禄薄
• 官情紙薄 / 官情纸薄
• 寒薄
• 小眼薄皮
• 尖嘴薄舌
• 尖酸刻薄 (jiānsuānkèbó)
• 履薄
• 履薄臨深 / 履薄临深
• 峭薄
• 帷薄
• 帷薄不修
• 微薄 (wēibó)
• 德淺行薄 / 德浅行薄
• 德薄才疏
• 德薄能鮮 / 德薄能鲜
• 悉索薄賦 / 悉索薄赋
• 悴薄
• 憤薄 / 愤薄
• 懸薄 / 悬薄
• 才疏德薄
• 才輕德薄 / 才轻德薄
• 旁薄 (pángbó)
• 日薄西山 (rìbóxīshān)
• 曲薄
• 材輕德薄 / 材轻德薄
• 林薄
• 桃花薄命
• 棉薄之力
• 浮名薄利
• 浮薄
• 深淵薄冰 / 深渊薄冰
• 涼薄 / 凉薄 (liángbó)
• 淒薄 / 凄薄
• 淡薄 (dànbó)
• 淺薄 / 浅薄 (qiǎnbó)
• 淡薄無味 / 淡薄无味
• 淺見薄識 / 浅见薄识
• 滂薄
• 澆薄 / 浇薄 (jiāobó)
• 澆風薄俗 / 浇风薄俗
• 濆薄 / 𣸣薄
• 片長薄技 / 片长薄技
• 略施薄懲 / 略施薄惩
• 瘠薄 (jíbó)
• 盤薄 / 盘薄
• 省刑薄斂 / 省刑薄敛
• 短見薄識 / 短见薄识
• 磅薄 (pángbó)
• 磽薄 / 硗薄
• 福薄
• 稀薄 (xībó)
• 紅顏命薄 / 红颜命薄
• 紅顏薄命 / 红颜薄命 (hóngyánbómìng)
• 綿力薄材 / 绵力薄材
• 綿薄 / 绵薄 (miánbó)
• 美人命薄
• 義薄雲天 / 义薄云天 (yìbóyúntiān)
• 脆薄
• 臉皮薄 / 脸皮薄
• 臨淵履薄 / 临渊履薄
• 臨深履薄 / 临深履薄 (línshēnlǚbó)
• 苛薄
• 菲薄 (fěibó)
• 菲食薄衣
• 落薄 (luòbó)
• 薄伎
• 薄伽梵 (Bóqiéfàn)
• 薄俗
• 薄倖 / 薄幸 (bóxìng)
• 薄倖人 / 薄幸人
• 薄儀 / 薄仪
• 薄具
• 薄分
• 薄切切
• 薄利 (bólì)
• 薄利多銷 / 薄利多销 (bólìduōxiāo)
• 薄劣
• 薄厚 (bóhòu)
• 薄命 (bómìng)
• 薄命女
• 薄壁組織 / 薄壁组织
• 薄夫
• 薄媚
• 薄宦
• 薄幹 / 薄干
• 薄弱 (bóruò)
• 薄待
• 薄怯
• 薄怯怯
• 薄情 (bóqíng)
• 薄惡 / 薄恶
• 薄情無義 / 薄情无义
• 薄情郎
• 薄意
• 薄懲 / 薄惩
• 薄技 (bójì)
• 薄批細切 / 薄批细切
• 薄明
• 薄晚
• 薄暮 (bómù)
• 薄曉 / 薄晓
• 薄曲
• 薄殼 / 薄壳 (bóké)
• 薄母
• 薄海 (bóhǎi)
• 薄海同仇
• 薄海歡騰 / 薄海欢腾
• 薄溼溼 / 薄湿湿
• 薄片 (bópiàn)
• 薄片子
• 薄片子嘴
• 薄物細故 / 薄物细故 (bówùxìgù)
• 薄生生
• 薄產 / 薄产 (bóchǎn)
• 薄田 (bótián)
• 薄田朽屋
• 薄相
• 薄眉
• 薄祜
• 薄祚寒門 / 薄祚寒门
• 薄祿相 / 薄禄相
• 薄福
• 薄禮 / 薄礼 (bólǐ)
• 薄籃 / 薄篮
• 薄紗 / 薄纱
• 薄縭絲 / 薄缡丝 (po̍h-li-si) (Min Nan)
• 薄翅黃蝶 / 薄翅黄蝶
• 薄耆
• 薄脆
• 薄脣輕言 / 薄唇轻言
• 薄膜
• 薄臉 / 薄脸
• 薄落
• 薄薄
• 薄薄怯怯
• 薄藍 / 薄蓝
• 薄行
• 薄裝 / 薄装
• 薄親 / 薄亲
• 薄識 / 薄识
• 薄貼 / 薄贴
• 薄賤 / 薄贱
• 薄遽
• 薄酌
• 薄酬
• 薄醉
• 薄陋
• 薄雲 / 薄云
• 薄面 (bómiàn)
• 薄面含嗔
• 薄頭 / 薄头
• 薄餅 / 薄饼 (báobǐng)
• 薄鬢 / 薄鬓
• 虛薄 / 虚薄
• 西山日薄
• 評薄 / 评薄
• 譾薄之材 / 谫薄之材
• 貧嘴薄舌 / 贫嘴薄舌
• 躬自菲薄
• 輕口薄舌 / 轻口薄舌
• 輕嘴薄舌 / 轻嘴薄舌
• 輕徭薄稅 / 轻徭薄税
• 輕徭薄賦 / 轻徭薄赋
• 輕浪浮薄 / 轻浪浮薄
• 輕薄 / 轻薄 (qīngbó)
• 輕薄無知 / 轻薄无知
• 輕薄無行 / 轻薄无行
• 鄙薄 (bǐbó)
• 鍥薄 / 锲薄
• 門衰祚薄 / 门衰祚薄
• 面皮薄
• 面薄腰纖 / 面薄腰纤
• 頭皮兒薄 / 头皮儿薄
• 飄薄 / 飘薄 (piāobó)
• 飛薄 / 飞薄
• 高義薄雲 / 高义薄云

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bò (bo⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄛˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bò
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄛˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bò
    • Wade–Giles: po⁴
    • Yale: bwò
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: boh
    • Palladius: бо (bo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu̯ɔ⁵¹/

Definitions

薄

1. only used in 薄荷 (bòhé, “mint”)

Compounds

• 薄荷 (bòhé)
• 薄荷油 (bòhéyóu)
• 薄荷精
• 薄荷腦 / 薄荷脑 (bòhénǎo)

Pronunciation 3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bù (bu⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bù
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bù
    • Wade–Giles: pu⁴
    • Yale: bù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: buh
    • Palladius: бу (bu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹/

Definitions

薄

1. (historical dictionaries only) only used in 蓾薄

References

• “薄”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.