Meaning of 扭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to turn
- to twist
- to wring
- to sprain
- to swing one's hips
How to use 扭
扭 is an everyday verb for twisting a part of the body or an object, such as turning your head, wringing a towel, or spraining an ankle. It often combines with a result word, as in 扭伤 (niǔshāng) or 扭转 (niǔzhuǎn). Example: 我打球时扭伤了脚。(Wǒ dǎ qiú shí niǔshāng le jiǎo.) I sprained my ankle playing ball.
扭 is built from the hand radical 扌 on the left and 丑 (chǒu) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture a hand gripping something and twisting it, and the 丑 side reminds you of the "-iu" sound in niǔ.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 扭 (niǔ) with 纽 (niǔ, button or knot), which has the silk radical 纟 instead of the hand radical 扌. Use 扭 for the action of twisting and 纽 for things like 纽扣 (niǔkòu, button).
扭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
扭 niǔ · to turn · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 扭.
Questions about 扭
What does 扭 mean?
扭 (niǔ) means "to turn; to twist" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 扭?
扭 is made of 1 character: 扭 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 扭 an HSK word?
Yes. 扭 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why is the 扭 in 别扭 pronounced with a neutral tone?
In 别扭 (bièniu) the second syllable is usually read in the neutral tone in standard Mandarin, so it sounds lighter than niǔ. The same goes for 闹别扭 (nàobièniu). When 扭 stands alone or in words like 扭头, keep the third tone.
Can 扭 describe dancing or walking with swaying hips?
Yes. One sense of 扭 is to swing one's hips, so phrases like 扭来扭去 (niǔ lái niǔ qù) describe someone wiggling or swaying. It can sound playful or a little teasing depending on context.