抱 means “hug, embrace, hold”

だく · daku

Also: hold in arms

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

だく, いだく, かかえる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ホウ

JLPT N3 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) that wraps (包) around something: a hug. 抱く is to hold in your arms, 抱っこ is what a small child asks for with arms up, and 抱える is to carry, whether a box or a problem.

Used in 抱く (daku, to hold/embrace), 抱っこ (dakko, carrying a child in your arms), and 抱える (kakaeru, to carry/to be burdened with)

More from Life & Breath

• 息 breath
• 吸 inhale
• 祖 ancestor
• 腹 belly
• 眠 sleep
• 活 lively
• 歳 age
• 身 body
• 若 young
• 命 life
• 亡 pass away
• 老 old age

Learn 抱 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.