Meaning of 擦
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to rub; to scratch
- to wipe; to polish
- to apply (lipstick, lotion etc)
- to brush (past)
- to shred (a vegetable etc)
How to use 擦
擦 is an everyday verb for wiping, rubbing, polishing, or putting something on the skin, and it often takes a result word like 干 or 掉. Example: 吃完饭请擦一下桌子。(Chī wán fàn qǐng cā yíxià zhuōzi.) After eating, please wipe the table.
擦 has the hand radical 扌 on the left and 察 (chá, to examine) on the right. Picture your hand going over a surface while you examine it closely, wiping until it is clean.
Common mistake: Learners often read 擦 as chá because its right side 察 is pronounced chá, but 擦 is first tone cā. Also, 擦 means wiping or rubbing a surface, so for washing with water use 洗 (xǐ), as in 洗手 (xǐ shǒu), not 擦手, unless you mean drying your hands.
擦 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.
擦 cā · to rub · 17 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 擦.
| 摩擦 | mócā | friction; rubbing |
| 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 |
Questions about 擦
What does 擦 mean?
擦 (cā) means "to rub; to scratch; to wipe; to polish" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 擦?
擦 is made of 1 character: 擦 (17 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 擦 an HSK word?
Yes. 擦 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say to put on lotion or lipstick with 擦?
Put the product right after 擦, as in 擦防晒霜 (cā fángshàishuāng), to apply sunscreen, or 擦口红 (cā kǒuhóng), to put on lipstick. 抹 (mǒ) is also common for creams.
What does 擦肩而过 mean?
It uses the sense of 擦 meaning to brush past. 擦肩而过 (cā jiān ér guò) means to brush shoulders and pass by, and it is often used for just missing someone or a chance.