(wàn) - To pull & to tug

Tone 4

wàn | 11 strokes | radical:

· wàn

To pull;

to tug;

to drag;

to draw out;

to lead;

to guide;

to attract;

to cite;

to quote;

to recommend;

to cause;

to provoke.

To pullto tugto drag

Usage highlights

To leadTo quoteTo attractTo recommendTo provokeTo draw a conclusion

Synonyms

  • To pull; to drag
  • To guide; to lead
  • To recommend

Antonyms

  • To push
  • To obstruct; to hinder

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He pulled the rope tightly (拉紧绳子).
  • The teacher cited an example (引用例子).
  • This incident caused concern (引起担忧).
  • She recommended a good book (推荐一本好书).

Collocations

  • To lead(引导)
  • To quote(引用)
  • To attract(吸引)
  • To recommend(推荐)
  • To provoke(引发)
  • To draw a conclusion(引出结论)

Idioms

  • To attract jade by casting a brick(抛砖引玉)
  • To quote copiously from many sources(旁征博引)
  • To lead the way with a song(引吭高歌)
  • To draw a snake and add feet(画蛇添足 - though not directly containing 引, illustrates 'adding unnecessarily')

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted drawing a bow, evolving to mean 'to lead' or 'to guide'.
  • Used in contexts of scholarly citation and intellectual discourse.
  • Appears in philosophical texts regarding cause and effect.

FAQ