薄

3 readings · tap one to hear it

thin; cold in manner; indifferent; weak; light; infertile

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

艹 meaning “grass” + 溥 sound ( pǔ )

Components 艹溥

slight · Heisig RSH #2793

蒲 cattail + glued to

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
义薄云天	yì bó yún tiān	supremely honorable and righteous
薄一波	Bó Yī bō	Bo Yibo (1908-2007), ranking PRC politician, served on State Council from 1950s to 1980s a…
衣单食薄	yī dān shí bó	thin coat, meager food (idiom); life of wretched poverty; destitute
薄地	bó dì	barren land; poor soil
薄海	bó hǎi	vast area; all the way to the sea
薄利多销	bó lì duō xiāo	small profit but rapid turnover
势单力薄	shì dān lì bó	(idiom) lacking strength and support
薄面	bó miàn	my meager sensibilities; blushing face; please do it for my sake (i.e. to save my face)(hu…
薄利	bó lì	small profits
薄明	bó míng	dim light; early dawn
薄油层	bó yóu céng	oil sheet
薄情	bó qíng	inconstant in love; fickle
穷家薄业	qióng jiā bó yè	lit. poor and with few means of subsistance (idiom); fig. destitute
脸皮薄	liǎn pí báo	thin-skinned; sensitive
单薄	dān bó	weak; frail; thin; flimsy
厚死薄生	hòu sǐ bó shēng	lit. to praise the dead and revile the living; fig. to live in the past (idiom)
薄酒	bó jiǔ	(my inferior) wine (humble term used by a host)
薄产	bó chǎn	meager estate; small means
薄板	báo bǎn	thin plate; sheet; lamina; Taiwan pr. [bo2 ban3]
德薄能鲜	dé bó néng xiǎn	little virtue and meager abilities (idiom); I'm a humble person and not much use at anythi…

Characters sharing the sound component 溥 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
溥 sound part	pǔ	big, great, vast; extensive, pervading, widespread
簿	bù	register, notebook, account book