泡

pào

HSK 6

泡 — pào

1. bubble; foam; blister

   茶杯里有很多细泡，说明茶叶很新鲜。 chábēi lǐ yǒu hěnduō xì pào shuōmíng cháyè hěn xīnxiān — There are many fine bubbles in the teacup, indicating the tea is very fresh.

2. to soak; to steep; to infuse (e.g., tea, medicinal herbs)

   把茶叶泡五分钟再喝，味道会更浓。 bǎ cháyè pào wǔfēnzhōng zài hē wèidào huì gèng nóng — Steep the tea leaves for five minutes before drinking; the flavor will be stronger.

3. to dawdle; to loiter; to idle

   别在街上泡了，快点回家做作业。 bié zài jiēshàng pào le kuàidiǎn huíjiā zuòzuòyè — Don't hang around on the street; hurry home and do your homework.

4. to pick up (a romantic/sexual partner); to get off with (slang)

   他在酒吧泡到了一个外国女孩。 tā zài jiǔbā pào dào le yígè wàiguó nǚhái — He picked up a foreign girl at the bar.

5. classifier for occurrences of an action; classifier for number of infusions (e.g., steepings of tea)

   这包茶可以泡三次，第三次味道会淡一些。 zhè bāo chá kěyǐ pào sāncì dìsāncì wèidào huì dàn yīxiē — This pack of tea can be steeped three times; the third infusion will be a bit weaker.

泡 — pāo

1. puffed; swollen; spongy

   面包烤出来又香又泡，口感很轻。 miànbāo kǎo chūlái yòu xiāng yòu pào kǒugǎn hěnqīng — The bread came out fragrant and puffed; it has a light texture.

2. small lake; pond (often in place names)

   西北有一个叫石泡的古池。 xīběi yǒu yígè jiào shí pào de gǔ chí — In the northwest there is an old pond called Shí Pào.

3. classifier for urine or feces (medical/colloquial)

   病人今天排了两泡大便，医生记录了量。 bìngrén jīntiān pái le liǎng pào dàbiàn yīshēng jìlù le liàng — The patient passed two bowel movements today; the doctor recorded the amount.