撬 meaning and stroke order
To lift; to pry open; to lever open
How to write 撬, stroke by stroke
15 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 撬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lift
- to pry open
- to lever open
How 撬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 毳 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 撬
The hand radical 扌 on the left shows you are using your hand, and 毳 (cuì), three 毛 (máo, hair) stacked together, gives the sound hint. Picture your hand wedging a tool into a tight gap so finely it could slip under a hair, then pushing to pry it open.
撬 (qiào) means to force something open or up with a lever, like a lid, a lock, or a door. It is very common in the word 撬开 (qiàokāi), and it can also be used figuratively, as in 撬墙角 (qiào qiángjiǎo), to poach someone's customers or partner. Example: 他用螺丝刀撬开了罐子。(Tā yòng luósīdāo qiàokāi le guànzi.) He pried the can open with a screwdriver.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as a single 毛 or miscount the hair parts. 毳 is three 毛, one on top and two side by side underneath. Also keep the fourth tone qiào and do not confuse it with 翘 (qiào/qiáo, to stick up), which sounds similar but is about something tilting upward, not prying.
Common words with 撬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 撬开 | qiàokāi | to pry open; to lever open | |
| 撬棍 | qiàogùn | crowbar |
撬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 撬
How many strokes are in 撬?
撬 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 撬 mean?
撬 (qiào) means to lift; to pry open; to lever open. A common word with it is 撬开 (qiàokāi), meaning "to pry open; to lever open".
How do you pronounce 撬?
撬 is pronounced qiào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 撬?
The radical of 撬 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 撬 under this radical.
Is 撬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 撬 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 撬 and 拆?
拆 (chāi) means to take apart or dismantle, often carefully and piece by piece. 撬 (qiào) specifically means using leverage to force something open or loose, such as a lid, a window, or a lock.
Does 撬锁 mean picking a lock?
撬锁 (qiào suǒ) means breaking a lock open by force, usually with a tool like a crowbar or screwdriver. It often appears in news about burglaries, for example 小偷撬锁进屋 (xiǎotōu qiào suǒ jìn wū), the thief forced the lock and got in.