Chinese–EnglishWith examples

拨

bō · bo

Traditional 撥

HSK 7–9

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. to push aside with the hand, foot, a stick etc
  2. to dial
  3. to allocate
  4. to set aside (money)
  5. to poke (the fire)
  6. to pluck (a string instrument)
  7. to turn round
  8. classifier: group, batch
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In a conversation

0:20 cartoon

Grandpa's old phone

  1. Liangliang

    灯灯(dēngdēng)，你家(nǐjiā)怎么(zěnme)还(hái)有(yǒu)这种(zhèzhǒng)老(lǎo)电话(diànhuà)？

    Dengdeng, why does your home still have this kind of old phone?

  2. Dengdeng

    这(zhè)是(shì)爷爷(yéye)的(de)电话(diànhuà)，要(yào)用(yòng)手(shǒu)拨号(bōhào)。

    This is Grandpa’s phone. You have to dial by hand.

  3. Liangliang

    怎么(zěnme)拨(bō)？

    How do you dial?

  4. Dengdeng

    手指(shǒuzhǐ)放进(fàngjìn)圆孔(yuánkǒng)，往右(wǎngyòu)拨(bō)一圈(yīquān)。

    Put your finger in the round hole and turn it once to the right.

  5. Liangliang

    拨好(bōhǎo)了(le)！咦(yí)，我(wǒ)自己(zìjǐ)的(de)手机(shǒujī)响(xiǎng)了(le)！

    Done dialing! Huh, my own phone is ringing!

  6. Dengdeng

    你(nǐ)拨(bō)的(de)是(shì)你(nǐ)自己(zìjǐ)的(de)号码(hàomǎ)！

    You dialed your own number!

Tap a word for its meaning in this line. The characters’ voices are computer-generated.

In a sentence

2 examples
01

在(zài)房(fáng)间(jiān)里(lǐ)只(zhǐ)能(néng)拨(bō)市(shì)内(nèi)，长(cháng)途(tú)可(kě)以(yǐ)到(dào)总(zǒng)台(tái)来(lái)打(dǎ)。

You can only make local calls from the room; you can go to the front desk to call long-distance.

Tatoeba: Chinese by sysko · English by szilviez · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

你(nǐ)确(què)定(dìng)你(nǐ)拨(bō)对(duì)号(hào)码(mǎ)了(le)吗(ma)？

Are you sure you dialed the right number?

Tatoeba: Chinese by Xanthe · English by carlosalberto · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

Sources & licenses

How to write

Choose a character to watch its strokes or trace it yourself.

Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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