擦 meaning and stroke order
To rub; to scratch; to wipe; to polish; to apply (lipstick, lotion etc)
How to write 擦, stroke by stroke
17 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 擦
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to rub; to scratch
- to wipe; to polish
- to apply (lipstick, lotion etc)
- to brush (past)
- to shred (a vegetable etc)
How 擦 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 察 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 擦
擦 is a hand 扌 next to 察 (chá, to inspect). Picture your hand wiping a window clean so you can inspect what is behind it.
擦 is the everyday verb for wiping, rubbing, or applying something to a surface, like a table, tears, or lotion. It often takes a result word, as in 擦干 (cāgān, wipe dry) or 擦掉 (cādiào, wipe off). Example: 请把桌子擦干净。(Qǐng bǎ zhuōzi cā gānjìng.) Please wipe the table clean.
Common mistake: Learners often read 擦 as chá because its phonetic part 察 is read chá. 擦 is first tone cā. Also, do not confuse it with 洗 (xǐ, to wash with water). 擦 means wiping or rubbing, not washing.
Common words with 擦
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 摩擦 | mócā | friction; rubbing | HSK 5 |
| 擦掉 | cādiào | to wipe | |
| 擦伤 | cāshāng | to abrade; to scrape; to chafe; to graze; abrasion; friction burn; scratch | |
| 擦屁股 | cāpìgu | to wipe one’s ass; (fig.) (coll.) to clean up sb else's mess | |
| 擦干 | cāgān | to wipe dry | |
| 擦亮 | cāliàng | to polish | |
| 擦拭 | cāshì | to wipe clean | |
| 擦肩而过 | cājiān'érguò | to brush past; to pass by (sb); (fig.) to miss (an opportunity, a danger etc); to have a b | |
| 擦洗 | cāxǐ | to clean (with water or alcohol); to wipe and wash |
擦 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 擦
How many strokes are in 擦?
擦 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 擦 mean?
擦 (cā) means to rub; to scratch; to wipe; to polish; to apply (lipstick, lotion etc). A common word with it is 摩擦 (mócā), meaning "friction; rubbing".
How do you pronounce 擦?
擦 is pronounced cā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 擦?
The radical of 擦 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 擦 under this radical.
Is 擦 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 擦 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say to put on sunscreen or lipstick with 擦?
Use 擦 plus the product: 擦防晒霜 (cā fángshàishuāng, put on sunscreen) or 擦口红 (cā kǒuhóng, put on lipstick). 涂 (tú) is also common for this meaning.
What does 擦肩而过 mean beyond its literal sense?
Literally it means to brush shoulders as you pass someone. Figuratively it means to just miss something, like an opportunity or a person you were meant to meet.