搂 meaning and stroke order
To hug; to embrace; to hold in one's arms
How to write 搂, 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
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- 12
Meaning of 搂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hug
- to embrace
- to hold in one's arms
- to draw towards oneself
- to gather
- to gather up (one's gown, sleeves etc)
- to grab (money)
- to extort
How 搂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 娄 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 搂
The hand radical 扌 on the left tells you this is an action done with your hands, and 娄 (lóu) on the right gives the sound. Picture your hands wrapping around someone to hug them, lǒu.
In the third tone, 搂 (lǒu) means to hold someone in your arms, often with a body part like 腰 (yāo, waist) or 脖子 (bózi, neck). It is common in phrases like 搂抱 (lǒubào, to hug) and 搂住 (lǒuzhù, to hold tight). Example: 妈妈把孩子搂在怀里。 (Māma bǎ háizi lǒu zài huái lǐ.) Mom held the child in her arms.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 搂 (lǒu) with 楼 (lóu, building), which has the same 娄 on the right but the tree radical 木. They also forget the tone change: hugging is third tone lǒu, while gathering or grabbing is first tone lōu.
Questions about 搂
How many strokes are in 搂?
搂 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 搂 mean?
搂 (lǒu) means to hug; to embrace; to hold in one's arms.
How do you pronounce 搂?
搂 is pronounced lǒu, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 搂?
The radical of 搂 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 搂 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 搂?
The traditional form of 搂 is 摟. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 搂 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 搂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 搂 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 搂 and 抱?
抱 (bào) is the general word for holding or carrying something in your arms, including lifting a baby. 搂 (lǒu) focuses on wrapping your arms around someone, often around the waist or shoulders, and can feel more intimate.
When is 搂 pronounced lōu?
It is lōu when it means pulling something toward yourself or gathering it up, as in 搂柴火 (lōu cháihuo, to rake up firewood). It can also mean grabbing money unfairly, as in 搂钱 (lōu qián).