捋 (lǚ) - To stroke & to smooth or arrange with the hand

捋Tone 3

lǚ ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

捋 · lǚ

To stroke;

to smooth or arrange with the hand;

to rub something between the fingers.

To stroketo smooth or arrange with the handto rub something between the fingers.

Usage highlights

Stroke hairSmooth beardRub leavesPet a catSmooth feathersArrange threads

Synonyms

  • 抚— to stroke, to caress
  • 摩— to rub, to stroke
  • 抹— to wipe, to smear

Antonyms

  • 抓— to grab, to scratch
  • 扯— to pull, to tear

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She stroked her hair (捋头发).
  • He rubbed the leaves between his fingers (捋叶子).
  • The cat likes being stroked (被捋).
  • He smoothed his beard thoughtfully (捋胡子).

Collocations

  • Stroke hair(捋头发)
  • Smooth beard(捋胡子)
  • Rub leaves(捋叶子)
  • Pet a cat(捋猫)
  • Smooth feathers(捋羽毛)
  • Arrange threads(捋线)

Idioms

  • Stroke the tiger's whiskers(捋虎须 - to provoke someone powerful)
  • Smooth out the details(捋清头绪)
  • Get things in order(捋顺关系)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character depicts the hand radical (扌) combined with the phonetic component 寽, representing the action of hand stroking.
  • In traditional Chinese culture, stroking one's beard was a common gesture of thoughtful contemplation among scholars.
  • The action of 'stroking' carries connotations of calming, organizing, or pacifying in various contexts.

FAQ