拄 meaning and stroke order
To lean on; to prop on
How to write 拄, 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 拄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lean on
- to prop on
How 拄 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 主 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 拄
拄 combines the hand radical 扌 with 主 (zhǔ), which gives the sound. Picture your hand gripping a cane and putting your weight on it: the hand does the leaning.
拄 is mostly used for leaning on a stick, cane, or crutch while walking or standing. It usually appears with 拐杖 (guǎizhàng, walking stick). Example: 爷爷拄着拐杖散步。(Yéye zhǔzhe guǎizhàng sànbù.) Grandpa takes a walk leaning on his cane.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 拄 with 住 (zhù, to live) and 柱 (zhù, pillar), which share the 主 part. Remember that 拄 has the hand radical and the third tone zhǔ, while the other two are fourth tone.
拄 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 拄
How many strokes are in 拄?
拄 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 拄 mean?
拄 (zhǔ) means to lean on; to prop on.
How do you pronounce 拄?
拄 is pronounced zhǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 拄?
The radical of 拄 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 拄 under this radical.
Is 拄 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 拄 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 拄 and 靠 when meaning to lean?
拄 means pressing down on a stick or object held in your hand for support, like a cane. 靠 (kào) means resting your body against something, like 靠墙 (kào qiáng, lean against a wall).
How do you say to walk with crutches using 拄?
You can say 拄着拐 (zhǔzhe guǎi) or 拄着双拐 (zhǔzhe shuāng guǎi) for two crutches. For example, 他拄着拐上班。(Tā zhǔzhe guǎi shàngbān.) He goes to work on crutches.