擂 meaning and stroke order
To rub, to grind; to use a mortar and pestle
How to write 擂, stroke by stroke
16 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 擂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pound (with a mortar and pestle); to hit (a person); to beat (a drum); to bang on (a door)
- (dialect) to scold
- (bound form) platform for a martial art contest
- Taiwan pr. [lei2]
How 擂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 雷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 擂
A hand 扌 striking hard enough to sound like thunder 雷 (léi). Picture someone pounding a drum or a mortar so loudly it booms like thunder.
As léi, 擂 means to pound, beat, or bang, as in 擂鼓 (léi gǔ, to beat a drum). As lèi, it appears mainly in 擂台 (lèitái), a stage for contests, now often used for any competition or challenge. Example: 他们在擂台上比武。(Tāmen zài lèitái shàng bǐwǔ.) They fought on the contest stage.
Common mistake: Learners often read 擂台 with second tone because 擂 is usually léi, but the standard mainland reading here is fourth tone lèitái. Also do not confuse 擂 with 雷 (léi, thunder), which has no hand radical.
Common words with 擂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 擂台 | lèitái | elevated stage on which martial competitions or duels were held; arena |
擂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 擂
How many strokes are in 擂?
擂 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 擂 mean?
擂 (léi) means to rub, to grind; to use a mortar and pestle. A common word with it is 擂台 (lèitái), meaning "elevated stage on which martial competitions or duels were held; arena".
How do you pronounce 擂?
擂 is pronounced léi, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 擂?
The radical of 擂 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 擂 under this radical.
What does 打擂台 mean?
打擂台 (dǎ lèitái) means to take up a challenge in a contest, originally a martial arts match. Today it is used for any competition where people go head to head.
Is 擂 used in food words?
Yes, it shows up in dishes made by pounding ingredients, such as 擂茶 (léichá), a tea drink made by grinding tea leaves, nuts, and grains with a pestle. This matches the meaning of grinding in a mortar.