Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

to run; to escape

Chinese: 跑、奔跑;也表示逃跑。读 pǎo。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “pao” becomes a different word in each tone. 跑 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 跑步pǎo bùto run; to jog; (military) to march at the double
  • 逃跑táo pǎoto flee from sth; to run away; to escape
  • 跑道pǎo dàoathletic track; track; runway (i.e. airstrip)
  • 奔跑bēn pǎoto run
  • 长跑cháng pǎolong-distance running

Example Sentence

他每天早上都去公园跑步。Tā měi tiān zǎo shang dōu qù gōng yuán pǎo bù.He goes to the park to run every morning.

he每天měi tiānevery day早上zǎo shangearly morningdōuallto go公园gōng yuánpark (for public recreatio跑步pǎo bùto run

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

The foot radical 足 (meaning) plus 包 (bāo, sound): an action of the feet — ‘to run’.

A way to remember it

Feet (足) + the sound 包 — to run.

Easy to confuse with

  • bǎo‘Full’: shares the 包 sound, but with the food radical 饣 — run vs full.