Meaning of 拖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to drag
- to tow
- to trail
- to hang down
- to mop (the floor)
- to delay
- to drag on
- variant of 拖[tuo1]
How to use 拖
拖 is a common verb for physically dragging or towing things, mopping the floor, and, figuratively, putting things off. It also appears in everyday words like 拖鞋 (tuōxié, slippers) and 拖延 (tuōyán, to delay). Example: 别再拖了，今天就做完。(Bié zài tuō le, jīntiān jiù zuò wán.) Stop putting it off and finish it today.
拖 has the hand radical 扌 on the left, so picture a hand gripping something and pulling it along behind you. The right side, 㐌, looks like a long tail trailing on the ground, which fits the idea of dragging.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 拖 (tuō, to drag) with 托 (tuō, to hold up from below or to entrust), since both use 扌 and share the same pronunciation. Remember that 拖 pulls something behind you, while 托 supports something from underneath, as in 托盘 (tuōpán, tray).
拖 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.
拖 tuō · to drag · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 拖.
| 拖鞋 | tuōxié | slippers; sandals |
| 拖延 | tuōyán | to delay; to put off |
| 拖累 | tuōlěi | to encumber; to be a burden on |
| 拖欠 | tuōqiàn | in arrears; behind in payments |
| 拖车 | tuōchē | to tow; towed vehicle |
| 拖住 | tuōzhù | to hold up; to hinder |
| 拍拖 | pāituō | (dialect) to date sb |
| 拖走 | tuōzǒu | to drag away |
| 拖把 | tuōbǎ | mop |
| 拖拉机 | tuōlājī | tractor |
| 拖延时间 | tuōyánshíjiān | to procrastinate; to stall for time |
| 拖下水 | tuōxiàshuǐ | lit. to pull sb into the water; to involve sb in a messy business |
Questions about 拖
What does 拖 mean?
拖 (tuō) means "to drag; to tow" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 拖?
拖 is made of 1 character: 拖 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 拖 an HSK word?
Yes. 拖 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say to mop the floor in Chinese?
Say 拖地 (tuō dì) or 拖地板 (tuō dìbǎn). A mop is 拖把 (tuōbǎ).
What is the difference between 拖 and 拉 (lā)?
拉 is a general word for pulling, including pulling something toward you. 拖 stresses dragging something along the ground or behind you, and it also carries the meaning of delaying, which 拉 does not usually have.