挎 meaning and stroke order
To carry (esp. slung over the arm, shoulder or side)
How to write 挎, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 挎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to carry (esp. slung over the arm, shoulder or side)
How 挎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 夸 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 挎
The hand radical 扌 shows the action, and 夸 (kuā) gives the sound. Picture your hand hooking a bag so it hangs at your side, and remember 挎 sounds like 夸 with a falling tone.
挎 (kuà) describes carrying something hung over the arm, shoulder, or hip, such as a bag or basket. It also appears in 挎包 (kuàbāo), a shoulder bag. Example: 她挎着一个篮子去买菜。(Tā kuà zhe yí gè lánzi qù mǎi cài.) She went to buy groceries with a basket over her arm.
Common mistake: Learners often read 挎 with the first tone because of its phonetic 夸 (kuā), but 挎 is fourth tone, kuà. Do not confuse it with 跨 (kuà, to step across), which has the foot radical 足 and means striding over something.
Questions about 挎
How many strokes are in 挎?
挎 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 挎 mean?
挎 (kuà) means to carry (esp. slung over the arm, shoulder or side).
How do you pronounce 挎?
挎 is pronounced kuà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 挎?
The radical of 挎 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 挎 under this radical.
Is 挎 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 挎 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 挎 and 背 (bēi)?
挎 means the item hangs from the arm, shoulder, or side, like a purse or basket. 背 (bēi) means carrying something on your back, like a backpack.
Can 挎 describe linking arms with someone?
Yes. 挎着胳膊 (kuà zhe gēbo) means walking arm in arm, with one person's arm hooked through the other's. It uses the same idea of something hooked over the arm.