包围
Traditional: 包圍
bāo wéi HSK 6

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

警察包围了那座大楼。
Jǐngchá bāowéile nà zuò dàlóu.
The police surrounded that building.
群山包围着这个小村庄。
Qún shān bāowéi zhe zhège xiǎo cūnzhuāng.
Mountains encircle this small village.
他被记者们包围了。
Tā bèi jìzhě men bāowéile.
He was surrounded by reporters.
敌人包围了城市。
Dírén bāowéi le chéngshì.
The enemy surrounded the city.
警察包围了房子。
Jǐngchá bāowéi le fángzi.
The police surrounded the house.

💡 Memory Tip

Break down the characters: 包 (bāo) means 'to wrap' or 'package,' and 围 (wéi) means 'to encircle.' Imagine wrapping something completely with a围巾 (scarf) to remember it means 'to surround.'

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in formality and used in both spoken and written Chinese. It's common in contexts like military operations (e.g., surrounding enemies), law enforcement (e.g., police surrounding a suspect), or describing natural phenomena (e.g., being surrounded by mountains).

📖 Grammar Points

包围 is often used in passive constructions with 被 (bèi), as in '被包围了' (was surrounded). It can also take objects directly, e.g., '包围城市' (to surround the city). It's a transitive verb.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese history and culture, 包围 is frequently associated with military tactics, such as in ancient warfare or modern strategic contexts, reflecting the importance of encirclement in traditional combat strategies.

🔄 Similar Words

环绕 (huánrào) means to encircle or revolve around, often in a gentler, continuous motion (e.g., a river环绕 a city). 包围 implies a tighter, more intentional encirclement, usually with a strategic or confrontational purpose.

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