How to write 跑 (pǎo, “to run”)
跑, an HSK 2 character, is read pǎo for “to run” and “to run away”, and also páo (“to paw”). It is HSK 2 in the 2025 syllabus, up from level 1 in the 2021 standard. As a left-right character it splits into 足 (“sufficient”, the radical), strokes 1–7; 包 (“to wrap”), strokes 8–12, written the left part first. On its own it is an HSK 2 word; it also forms 跑步 (“to run”), 跑道 (“athletic track”) and 奔跑 (“to run”). Japanese reads it hou, “run”.
- Pinyin
- pǎo, páo
- Strokes
- 12
- HSK
- 2
- Radical
- 足 (“sufficient”)
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- top leftdownwards
- top leftrightwards → down and left
- leftrightwards
- leftdownwards
- leftup and right → rightwards
- leftdownwards
- bottom leftrightwards
- topdown and left
- toprightwards → downwards
- centerrightwards → down and left
- centerrightwards
- centerdown and right → rightwards → upwards
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| pǎo third tone | to run; to run away; to escape; to run around (on errands etc); (of a gas or liquid) to leak or evaporate | — | 跑步 跑道 奔跑 逃跑 |
| páo second tone | (of an animal) to paw (the ground) | — | — |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 2
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 2 word
- Words with it
- 85 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 跑
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 跑 | pǎo | to run; to run away HSK 2 |
| 跑步 | pǎobù | to run; to jog HSK 2 |
| 跑道 | pǎodào | athletic track; track HSK 5 |
| 奔跑 | bēnpǎo | to run HSK 6 |
| 逃跑 | táopǎo | to flee from sth; to run away HSK 6 |
| 赛跑 賽跑 | sàipǎo | race (running); to race (running) HSK 7-9 |
| 起跑线 起跑線 | qǐpǎoxiàn | the starting line; scratch line HSK 7-9 |
| 跑龙套 跑龍套 | pǎolóngtào | to play a small role HSK 7-9 |
| 小跑 | xiǎopǎo | to trot; to jog |
| 打跑 | dǎpǎo | to run off rebuffed; to fend off |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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HSK 2, in list order: