叩 meaning and stroke order
To ask; to bow, to kowtow; to knock
How to write 叩, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 叩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to knock
- to kowtow
- old variant of 叩[kou4]
How 叩 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Kneel.
卩 gives the meaning and 口 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 叩
On the left is a mouth 口 (kǒu), which also gives the sound kòu. On the right is 卩, a kneeling person, so picture someone kneeling and speaking a humble request as they bow their head to the ground.
叩 is mostly used in set or formal words, such as 叩头 (kòutóu, to kowtow), 叩门 (kòumén, to knock on a door), and 叩谢 (kòuxiè, to thank with deep respect). In everyday speech people usually say 敲 (qiāo) for knocking. Example: 他轻轻叩门。(Tā qīngqīng kòu mén.) He knocked gently on the door.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 阝 or 卫, but it is 卩, which has no extra hook or bottom stroke. Another slip is reading it as kǒu in the third tone like 口, when the correct tone is fourth, kòu.
叩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 叩
How many strokes are in 叩?
叩 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 叩 mean?
叩 (kòu) means to ask; to bow, to kowtow; to knock.
How do you pronounce 叩?
叩 is pronounced kòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 叩?
The radical of 叩 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 叩 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 叩?
The traditional form of 叩 is 敂. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 叩 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is the English word kowtow related to 叩头?
Yes. Kowtow comes from 叩头 (kòutóu) or 磕头 (kētóu), meaning to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground. In English it also means to act too humbly toward someone.
What is the difference between 叩 and 扣 (kòu)?
They sound the same but mean different things. 叩 is about knocking or bowing, while 扣 (kòu) means to button, fasten, or deduct, as in 扣子 (kòuzi, button).