措 meaning and stroke order
To arrange; to execute on; to manage
How to write 措, stroke by stroke
11 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 措
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to handle
- to manage
- to put in order
- to arrange
- to administer
- to execute
How 措 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 昔 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 措
The hand radical 扌 shows you are doing something with your hands, and 昔 (xī) gives the sound. Picture a hand putting things in order to manage a task.
措 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words like 措施 (cuòshī, measure), 举措 (jǔcuò, move or act) and idioms such as 不知所措 (bùzhīsuǒcuò, at a loss). Example: 政府采取了新的措施。(Zhèngfǔ cǎiqǔle xīn de cuòshī.) The government took new measures.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 措 with 错 (cuò, wrong), since both sound the same and share 昔. Remember that 措 has the hand 扌 for doing things, while 错 has the metal radical 钅.
Common words with 措
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 措施 | cuòshī | measure; step | HSK 4 |
| 惊慌失措 | jīnghuāng-shīcuò | to lose one's head out of fear (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 措手不及 | cuòshǒu-bùjí | no time to deal with it (idiom); caught unprepared | HSK 7-9 |
| 举措 | jǔcuò | move; act; measure | HSK 7-9 |
| 筹措 | chóucuò | to raise (money) | HSK 7-9 |
| 不知所措 | bùzhīsuǒcuò | not knowing what to do (idiom); at one's wits' end; embarrassed and at a complete loss | |
| 安全措施 | ānquáncuòshī | safety measure; precaution; (coll.) (euphemism) contraception; protection | |
| 措辞 | cuòcí | wording; way of expressing something | |
| 预防措施 | yùfángcuòshī | protective step; protective measure |
措 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 措
How many strokes are in 措?
措 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 措 mean?
措 (cuò) means to arrange; to execute on; to manage. A common word with it is 措施 (cuòshī), meaning "measure; step".
How do you pronounce 措?
措 is pronounced cuò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 措?
The radical of 措 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 措 under this radical.
Is 措 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 措 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What verb usually goes with 措施?
The most common pairing is 采取措施 (cǎiqǔ cuòshī), to take measures. You will also hear 制定措施 (zhìdìng cuòshī), to draw up measures.
What is the difference between 措手不及 and 不知所措?
措手不及 means something happened too fast for you to react, so you were caught unprepared. 不知所措 describes the feeling of not knowing what to do, often from confusion or embarrassment.