抽 meaning and stroke order
To draw out; to pull out from in between; to remove part of the whole; to inhale (esp. smoke)
How to write 抽, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 抽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to draw out; to pull out from in between
- to remove part of the whole
- to inhale (esp. smoke)
- (of fabric etc) to shrink
- (of certain plants) to sprout; to bud
- to whip; to thrash
How 抽 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 由 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 抽
抽 combines the hand radical 扌 with 由 (yóu), which gives the sound. Picture a hand reaching in and pulling something out, like a card from a deck.
抽 means to pull or draw something out from among others, and it shows up in everyday words like 抽屉 (chōuti, drawer), 抽奖 (chōujiǎng, lottery draw) and 抽烟 (chōuyān, to smoke). It is also used for finding time, as in 抽空. Example: 我明天抽空去看你。(Wǒ míngtiān chōukòng qù kàn nǐ.) I will find time to visit you tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 抽 with 油 (yóu, oil), which shares 由 but has the water radical 氵 instead of the hand 扌. Also keep the first tone chōu, and do not mix it up with 臭 (chòu, smelly).
Common words with 抽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 抽烟 | chōuyān | to smoke (tobacco) | HSK 4 |
| 抽奖 | chōujiǎng | to draw a prize; a lottery | HSK 4 |
| 抽屉 | chōuti | drawer | HSK 7-9 |
| 抽象 | chōuxiàng | abstract; abstraction | HSK 7-9 |
| 抽签 | chōuqiān | to perform divination with sticks; to draw lots | HSK 7-9 |
| 抽出 | chōuchū | to take out; to extract | |
| 抽筋 | chōujīn | cramp; charley horse | |
| 抽空 | chōukòng | to find the time to do sth | |
| 抽搐 | chōuchù | to twitch | |
| 抽泣 | chōuqì | to sob spasmodically | |
| 抽身 | chōushēn | to get away from; to withdraw | |
| 抽血 | chōuxuè | to take blood; to draw blood (e.g. for a test) | |
| 抽取 | chōuqǔ | to extract; to remove | |
| 抽时间 | chōushíjiān | to (try to) find the time to |
抽 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 抽
How many strokes are in 抽?
抽 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 抽 mean?
抽 (chōu) means to draw out; to pull out from in between; to remove part of the whole; to inhale (esp. smoke). A common word with it is 抽烟 (chōuyān), meaning "to smoke (tobacco)".
How do you pronounce 抽?
抽 is pronounced chōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 抽?
The radical of 抽 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 抽 under this radical.
Is 抽 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 抽 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Is 抽烟 the same as 吸烟?
Both mean to smoke. 抽烟 is more colloquial and common in speech, while 吸烟 (xīyān) is more formal and appears on signs like 禁止吸烟 (no smoking).
Can 抽 mean to hit someone?
Yes, 抽 can mean to whip or lash, as in 抽了他一鞭子 (lashed him with a whip). In casual speech it can also mean to slap, but this sense is less common than pulling out or smoking.