薄

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 𦢸 𨏫 𩍿 𩏵 𩽛 𪎄 𪚂 𮂣 𮕓

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

Glyph origin

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

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.

   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.

     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。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     唇竭则齿寒，鲁酒薄而邯郸围，圣人生而大盗起。 [Classical Chinese, 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.

     '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，…… [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     王如施仁政于民，省刑罚，薄税敛，深耕易耨，…… [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

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

     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？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
      薄暮雷电，归何忧？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

      Bómù léidiàn, guī hé yōu?

      (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

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

薄

1. Only used in 薄荷 (bòhé, “mint”).

Compounds

Pronunciation 3

Definitions

薄

1. ^‡ Only used in 蓾薄.

References

• “Entry #12335”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

Japanese

Shinjitai	薄
Kyūjitai	薄󠄃 薄+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. thin, weak, sparse
2. dilute
3. weak (tea)

Readings

• Go-on: ばく (baku)
• Kan-on: はく (haku, Jōyō)
• Kun: うすい (usui, 薄い, Jōyō); うすれる (usureru, 薄れる, Jōyō); うすらぐ (usuragu, 薄らぐ, Jōyō); うすめる (usumeru, 薄める, Jōyō); うすまる (usumaru, 薄まる, Jōyō); ここに (kokoni, 薄に); せまる (semaru, 薄る); すすき (susuki, 薄); まぶし (mabushi)
• Nanori: いたる (itaru)

Compounds

• 薄(はく)氷(ひょう) (hakuhyō, “thin ice”)
• 薄(はく)謝(しゃ) (hakusha, “token of gratitude”)
• 花(はな)薄(はっ)荷(か) (hanahakka, “oregano”)

Etymology

Etymology

References

Korean

Hanja

薄 (eumhun 엷을 박 (yeolbeul bak))

1. Hanja form^? of 박 (“thin, slight, weak”).
2. Hanja form^? of 박 (“poor, stingy”).

Vietnamese

Han character

薄: Hán Nôm readings: bạc

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.