搓 meaning and stroke order
To rub or roll between the hands or fingers; to twist
How to write 搓, 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 搓
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to rub or roll between the hands or fingers
- to twist
How 搓 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 差 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 搓
The hand radical 扌 on the left shows the action is done with your hands, and 差 (chā) on the right gives the sound cuō. Picture two hands rubbing together until they feel a little different, a little 差.
搓 describes rubbing something between your palms or fingers, like washing clothes by hand, rubbing your hands to warm up, or rolling dough into strips. A common phrase is 搓手 (cuō shǒu, to rub one's hands). Example: 天太冷了，他一直在搓手。(Tiān tài lěng le, tā yìzhí zài cuō shǒu.) It was so cold that he kept rubbing his hands.
Common mistake: Learners often read 搓 as chā or chà because of the phonetic 差, but the correct sound is cuō with a first tone. Also do not confuse it with 磋 (cuō), which has the stone radical and appears in 磋商 (cuōshāng, to negotiate).
搓 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 搓
How many strokes are in 搓?
搓 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 搓 mean?
搓 (cuō) means to rub or roll between the hands or fingers; to twist.
How do you pronounce 搓?
搓 is pronounced cuō, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 搓?
The radical of 搓 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 搓 under this radical.
Is 搓 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 搓 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 搓 and 擦?
擦 (cā) means to wipe or rub a surface, like 擦桌子 (cā zhuōzi, wipe the table). 搓 means rubbing something back and forth between your hands or against itself, like 搓衣服 (cuō yīfu, scrub clothes by hand).
What does 搓麻将 mean?
搓麻将 (cuō májiàng) is a casual way to say playing mahjong. It comes from the motion of shuffling the tiles with your hands on the table.