摘 meaning and stroke order
To take; to pick (flowers, fruit etc); to pluck; to remove; to take off (glasses, hat etc); to select; to pick out; to borrow money at a time of urgent need
How to write 摘, stroke by stroke
14 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 摘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to take; to pick (flowers, fruit etc); to pluck; to remove; to take off (glasses, hat etc)
- to select; to pick out
- to borrow money at a time of urgent need
How 摘 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To pick 扌 a fruit off a branch 啇.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 摘
The hand radical 扌 on the left reaches toward 啇 on the right, which the etymology hint pictures as a fruit on a branch. A hand plucking fruit off a branch gives you 摘 (zhāi), to pick.
摘 is used for picking fruit or flowers and for taking off things you wear, like glasses, hats, or masks. It also means to select or extract, as in 摘要 (zhāiyào), a summary. Example: 请把帽子摘下来。(Qǐng bǎ màozi zhāi xiàlái.) Please take off your hat.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 摘 with 滴 (dī, drop) and 敵/敌 (dí, enemy), which share the same right side. Check the left part: only the hand 扌 means picking. Also remember the tone is first tone zhāi, not zhái.
Common words with 摘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
摘 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 摘
How many strokes are in 摘?
摘 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 摘 mean?
摘 (zhāi) means to take; to pick (flowers, fruit etc); to pluck; to remove; to take off (glasses, hat etc); to select; to pick out; to borrow money at a time of urgent need. A common word with it is 摘下 (zhāixià), meaning "to take off; to remove (one's hat, a door from its hinges etc); to pick (a piece of fruit ".
How do you pronounce 摘?
摘 is pronounced zhāi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 摘?
The radical of 摘 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 摘 under this radical.
Is 摘 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 摘 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 摘 and 脱 for taking things off?
摘 is used for accessories you remove from the head or face, like glasses, hats, earrings, or masks. 脱 (tuō) is used for clothing and shoes, such as 脱衣服 (tuō yīfu), to take off clothes.
Can 摘 mean to quote or excerpt text?
Yes. 摘 can mean to pick out passages from writing, as in 摘录 (zhāilù), to excerpt, and 摘要 (zhāiyào), an abstract or summary.