揩 meaning and stroke order
To wipe, to rub, to dust, to clean
How to write 揩, 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 揩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to wipe
How 揩 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 皆 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 揩
The hand radical 扌 shows the action, and 皆 (jiē, all) gives the sound. Picture your hand wiping all of the surface clean.
揩 (kāi) is a fairly literary or regional verb meaning to wipe, and it often appears in written Chinese or in southern dialects. A common fixed phrase is 揩油 (kāi yóu), which literally means to wipe off oil but is used to mean taking petty advantage or groping someone. Example: 他用手帕揩了揩眼泪。(Tā yòng shǒupà kāi le kāi yǎnlèi.) He wiped his tears with a handkerchief.
Common mistake: Learners often read 揩 as jiē because of its phonetic part 皆, but the correct reading is kāi, first tone. Also do not confuse it with 楷 (kǎi, model, regular script), which has the wood radical 木 instead of the hand radical.
Questions about 揩
How many strokes are in 揩?
揩 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 揩 mean?
揩 (kāi) means to wipe, to rub, to dust, to clean.
How do you pronounce 揩?
揩 is pronounced kāi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 揩?
The radical of 揩 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 揩 under this radical.
What is the difference between 揩 and 擦?
Both can mean to wipe, but 擦 (cā) is the everyday word used in standard spoken Mandarin. 揩 sounds more literary or dialectal, so in daily speech most people would say 擦桌子 rather than 揩桌子.
What does 揩油 mean?
揩油 (kāi yóu) means to take small unfair advantages, like getting things for free at someone else's expense. It can also mean to touch someone inappropriately, so use it carefully.