扪 meaning and stroke order
To stoke, to pat; to grope, to feel
How to write 扪, stroke by stroke
6 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
- 6
Meaning of 扪
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- lay hands on
- to cover
How 扪 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 门 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 扪
扪 (mén) is a hand 扌 next to 门 (mén, door). Picture your hand feeling along a dark door for the handle, so the character means to grope or touch, and 门 gives the sound.
扪 is rare on its own and mostly appears in the set phrase 扪心自问, which means honestly searching your own conscience. Example: 你扪心自问，这样做对吗？ (Nǐ ménxīnzìwèn, zhèyàng zuò duì ma?) Ask yourself honestly, is this right?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 扪 with 们 (men), the plural suffix, because both use 门. Remember that 扪 has the hand radical 扌 and a second tone, while 们 has the person radical 亻 and is usually neutral tone.
Common words with 扪
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 扪心自问 | ménxīnzìwèn | to ask oneself honestly; to search in one's heart |
Questions about 扪
How many strokes are in 扪?
扪 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 扪 mean?
扪 (mén) means to stoke, to pat; to grope, to feel. A common word with it is 扪心自问 (ménxīnzìwèn), meaning "to ask oneself honestly; to search in one's heart".
How do you pronounce 扪?
扪 is pronounced mén, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 扪?
The radical of 扪 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 扪 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 扪?
The traditional form of 扪 is 捫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 扪 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 扪心自问 literally mean?
It literally means to put your hand on your heart (扪心) and ask yourself (自问). It is used when you urge someone, or yourself, to reflect honestly on their own actions.
Can I use 扪 by itself in everyday speech?
Not really. In modern Chinese you would say 摸 (mō) for touching or groping. 扪 survives mainly in literary language and fixed phrases like 扪心自问.