揉 meaning and stroke order
To knead; to massage; to rub
How to write 揉, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 揉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to knead
- to massage
- to rub
How 揉 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A gentle 柔 hand 扌; 柔 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 揉
The hand radical 扌 sits next to 柔 (róu), which means soft or gentle. A gentle hand pressing and rubbing is what you do when you knead dough or massage sore muscles, and 柔 also gives the sound róu.
揉 is a common verb for rubbing, kneading or massaging with the hands, and it often appears in phrases like 揉面 (róu miàn, knead dough) and 揉眼睛 (róu yǎnjing, rub your eyes). Example: 别揉眼睛。(Bié róu yǎnjing.) Don't rub your eyes.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 柔 (róu, soft) when they mean the action 揉. Remember that the verb you do with your hands needs the hand radical 扌, while 柔 alone is an adjective as in 温柔 (wēnróu, gentle).
揉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 揉
How many strokes are in 揉?
揉 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 揉 mean?
揉 (róu) means to knead; to massage; to rub.
How do you pronounce 揉?
揉 is pronounced róu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 揉?
The radical of 揉 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 揉 under this radical.
Is 揉 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 揉 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 揉 and 按 for massage?
揉 (róu) means rubbing or kneading in a circular, moving way. 按 (àn) means pressing down on a spot. A massage often combines both, as in 按揉 (ànróu).
How do you say to crumple paper with 揉?
You can say 把纸揉成一团 (bǎ zhǐ róu chéng yì tuán), meaning to crumple the paper into a ball. Here 揉 covers the sense of crushing something by hand.