跑 pǎo

“to run; to run away; to escape”

verb2021 list level 1

新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level

跑 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.

Entry 414: 跑 pǎo — Level 2; official annotation 2 (动). PDF page 90

Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.

用法How to use 跑

跑 (pǎo) means “to run,” and also “to run away/escape” (小偷跑了) and “to dash around/run errands” (跑了好几趟); with a place object it can mean “go to (a place) frequently,” as in 跑医院、跑银行. Use 跑得 + complement to describe manner or speed (跑得快/跑得慢). To express a destination in the directional sense, use a directional complement such as 跑回家、跑到学校、跑出去, not a bare destination noun directly after 跑.

例句Example sentences

他跑得很快，我追不上他。tā pǎo de hěn kuài, wǒ zhuī bú shàng tā.He runs very fast; I can't catch up with him.
别跑，小心摔倒！bié pǎo, xiǎo xīn shuāi dǎo!Don't run, or you'll fall!
小偷看见警察就跑了。xiǎo tōu kàn jiàn jǐng chá jiù pǎo le.The thief ran away as soon as he saw the police.

常见错误Common mistakes

✗我跑家拿伞。

✓我跑回家拿伞。

A bare destination noun cannot follow 跑 here; use a directional complement such as 回、到 or 去 before the place, e.g. 跑回家。

易混词Easily confused

跑vs走

走 means "to walk" and is neutral, while 跑 means "to run" and stresses speed or fleeing; 我走了 usually means "I'm leaving", not "I ran".

义项All meanings

páo: (of an animal) to paw (the ground)
pǎo: to run; to run away; to escape; to run around (on errands etc); (of a gas or liquid) to leak or evaporate; (verb complement) away