宝宝 (bǎo bǎo) is a reduplicated, affectionate term meaning 'baby' or 'darling'. Though the character 宝 literally means 'treasure' or 'precious thing', doubling it softens and personalizes the meaning—conveying warmth, tenderness, and deep fondness. It’s commonly used by parents to address infants or young children, but also frequently appears in romantic relationships between adults as a pet name, similar to 'honey' or 'sweetheart' in English.

The word carries strong emotional connotation rather than literal reference—it rarely refers to an actual infant in formal or neutral contexts. Its tone is intimate and informal; using it with strangers or in professional settings would sound overly familiar or even inappropriate. The repetition (reduplication) is typical in Chinese for expressing smallness, endearment, or familiarity, much like 小小 (xiǎo xiǎo) or 看看 (kàn kan).