剥 bō to peel
to peel; to skin; to exploit
How to remember 剥: 录 record + 刂 knife = to peel. My little brother wants to record a cooking video, so he grabs a knife and shows his followers how to peel a potato.
Component breakdown
剥 = 录 record + 刂 knife
- 录 record
- 刂 knife
My little brother wants to record a cooking video, so he grabs a knife and shows his followers how to peel a potato.
How it is used
- To peel/strip off an outer layer - two readings: bāo in everyday speech (剥橘子 bāo júzi peel an orange, 剥皮 bāo pí skin it).
- bō in compounds - 剥削 (bōxuē) to exploit, 剥夺 (bōduó) to strip someone of (rights), 剥离 (bōlí) to peel away/separate.
- Hands-on peeling = bāo; abstract 'strip away/deprive' in compounds = bō.