掣 meaning and stroke order
To pull, to drag; to hinder, to pull back
How to write 掣, stroke by stroke
12 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 掣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pull
- to draw
- to pull back
- to withdraw
- to flash past
How 掣 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
手 gives the meaning and 制 hints at the sound.
Radical: 手 (hand), shared by 23 characters on this site.
How to remember 掣
A hand 手 sits under 制 (zhì, to control). Picture a hand reaching up to control something by pulling it back, which gives 掣 (chè), to pull or drag.
掣 is mostly found in set words rather than on its own. Common ones are 掣肘 (chèzhǒu, to hold someone back by the elbow, to hinder) and 风驰电掣 (fēng chí diàn chè, fast as wind and lightning). Example: 他做事总被别人掣肘。(Tā zuòshì zǒng bèi biérén chèzhǒu.) He is always held back by others when he tries to get things done.
Common mistake: Learners often read 掣 as zhì because of the phonetic part 制, but the correct reading is chè with a fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 制 alone, which means to make or to control and has no 手 underneath.
Questions about 掣
How many strokes are in 掣?
掣 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 掣 mean?
掣 (chè) means to pull, to drag; to hinder, to pull back.
How do you pronounce 掣?
掣 is pronounced chè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 掣?
The radical of 掣 is 手, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 掣 under this radical.
What does 掣肘 mean literally?
It means pulling on someone's elbow (肘 zhǒu) so they cannot move freely. It is used figuratively for hindering or restricting someone's work.
Why does 风驰电掣 use 掣?
Here 掣 carries the sense of flashing past, like lightning (电) streaking across the sky. The idiom describes something moving extremely fast.