to peel, to skin

JLPT N5 10 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Usage and Meanings

The character (bāo) primarily means "to peel" or "to strip off" the outer layer of something, such as fruit skin or paint. It can be used literally, as in peeling an orange, or figuratively, such as stripping away rights or privileges.

Common Collocations

  • (bāopí): to skin (an animal or fruit)
  • (bāoluò): to peel off, to flake away (paint, plaster)
  • 剥夺 (bōduó): to deprive or strip someone of something (rights, privileges)

Notes

When used in a figurative sense like 剥夺, the pronunciation changes slightly to bōduó, and it conveys a more abstract meaning of "taking away" or "depriving." This is a common source of confusion because the character looks the same but the tone and meaning differ. In everyday conversation, is often used in the literal sense of peeling food or removing layers.

Register and Tone

is neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. The figurative use 剥夺 is more formal and often appears in legal or political contexts.

Example Sentences

He used a knife to peel the orange's skin.

The paint on this old wall has started to peel off.

He deprived her of the right to speak.