牽 meaning and stroke order
To drag, to pull, to lead by the hand
How to write 牽, stroke by stroke
11 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 牽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lead along
- to pull (an animal on a tether)
- (bound form) to involve
- to draw in
How 牽 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person pulling 冖 an ox 牛 by a rope 玄.
Radical: 牛 (ox), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 牽
Picture an ox 牛 at the bottom, a rope 玄 on top, and a yoke or halter 冖 between them. Someone is pulling the ox along by the rope, so 牽 (qiān) means to lead or pull.
牽 is used for physically leading a person or animal, like holding a child's hand or walking a dog, and in compounds it often means to involve or draw someone in. Example: 他牽著狗去公園。(Tā qiānzhe gǒu qù gōngyuán.) He is walking the dog to the park. Common words include 牽手 (qiānshǒu, to hold hands) and 牽涉 (qiānshè, to involve).
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 牽 with 拉 (lā). 拉 is a general pull, while 牽 means leading something along gently, often by the hand or a leash. You can say 牽手 but not 拉手 for holding hands romantically.
Common words with 牽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 牽扯 | qiānchě | to involve; to implicate; to be interrelated | HSK 7-9 |
| 牽涉 | qiānshè | to involve; implicated | HSK 7-9 |
| 牽制 | qiānzhì | to control; to curb | HSK 7-9 |
| 牽掛 | qiānguà | to worry about; to be concerned about | HSK 7-9 |
| 牽頭 | qiāntóu | to lead (an animal by the head); to take the lead | HSK 7-9 |
| 牽連 | qiānlián | to implicate; implicated | |
| 牽涉到 | qiānshèdào | to involve; to drag in | |
| 牽手 | qiānshǒu | to hold hands | |
| 牽引 | qiānyǐn | to pull; to draw (a cart); to tow | |
| 手牽手 | shǒuqiānshǒu | hand in hand | |
| 牽強 | qiānqiǎng | far-fetched; implausible (chain of reasoning) | |
| 牽絆 | qiānbàn | to bind; to yoke | |
| 牽線 | qiānxiàn | to pull strings; to manipulate (a puppet) |
Characters that contain 牽
Learning 牽 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 牽
How many strokes are in 牽?
牽 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 牽 mean?
牽 (qiān) means to drag, to pull, to lead by the hand. A common word with it is 牵扯 (qiānchě), meaning "to involve; to implicate; to be interrelated".
How do you pronounce 牽?
牽 is pronounced qiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 牽?
The radical of 牽 is 牛, which carries the idea of "ox". Dictionaries list 牽 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 牽?
牽 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 牵, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 牽 and 牵?
They are the same character. 牵 is the simplified form used in mainland China, and 牽 is the form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
What does 牽掛 (qiānguà) mean emotionally?
牽掛 means to worry about or keep someone on your mind, like a parent thinking about a child far away. The image is your heart being pulled toward that person.