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波

Mandarin · pinyin bō#

wave
ripple
storm
surge

Mandarin · pinyin Bō#

(bound form) Poland (abbr. for 波蘭 Bō lán)
surname Bo

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Characters in this entry

波: bō · waves, breakers; undulations

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · bo1

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1character link32same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 21 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bo1

Cantonese word readings for 波. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

wave; breaker
undulation
(physics) wave
(Sichuanese, including Chongqing and Neijiang) elderly person
(abbreviation, alt-of) short for 波蘭／波兰 (Bōlán, “Poland”)
(abbreviation, alt-of) short for 波斯 (Bōsī, “Persia”)
a surname
used in 波羅／波罗 (bōluó), alternative form of 菠蘿 /菠萝 (bōluó)
Used in transcription.

character · Etymology 2

(Cantonese, Leizhou Min, Hainanese) ball (Classifier: 個／个 c; 粒 c)
(Cantonese) ball game, especially football (Classifier: 場／场 c)
(Cantonese) team in a ball game, especially football (Classifier: 隊／队 c)
(Cantonese) goal (act of scoring with the ball) in a ball game, especially football (Classifier: 球 c)
(Cantonese) automotive gear, gearbox; transmission
(Hong Kong Cantonese) typhoon signal (issued by the Hong Kong Observatory)
(chiefly Hong Kong Cantonese, figurative) boob; breast (Classifier: 對／对 c; 個／个 c)
(Hong Kong Cantonese) ball; dance party (Classifier: 個／个 c)
(Hong Kong Cantonese, figuratively, always with the classifier) responsibility (Classifier: 個／个 c)

character · Etymology 3

(early vernacular) Emphatic final particle; used at the end of a sentence to indicate a suggested action: why don't you ...; let us ...
(early vernacular) Used at the end of a sentence used to indicate disapproving incredulousness.
(early vernacular) A meaningless sentence-medial particle

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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