玻 bō — glass
小心，别把玻璃打碎了。Xiǎo xīn, bié bǎ bō li dǎ suì le.Be careful not to break the glass.
Common words: 玻璃 (bō li)、玻片 (bō piàn)、玻色子 (bō sè zǐ)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "glass"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "glass", including 玻 (bō), 璃 (lí). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "glass" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 玻 (bō), 璃 (lí) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span bō, lí — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 玻 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 玻 bōglassUseful words: 玻璃, 玻片
- 璃 lícolored glaze; glassUseful words: 玻璃, 玻璃心
Common words for these 2 "glass" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 玻 (bō) — so "glass" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "glass".
璃 lí — colored glaze; glass
窗户上的玻璃擦得干干净净。Chuāng hu shàng de bō li cā de gān gān jìng jìng.The glass on the window is wiped spotlessly clean.
Common words: 玻璃 (bō li)、玻璃心 (bō li xīn)、玻璃体 (bō lí tǐ)
All 2 characters
Open 玻、璃 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.