揉 (róu) - To rub & to knead

揉Tone 2

róu ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

榕儒

揉 · róu

To rub;

to knead;

to massage;

to twist;

to crumple.

To rubto kneadto massage

Usage highlights

To rub the eyesTo knead doughTo massageTo rub and twistTo crumple paperTo knead and press

Synonyms

  • 搓— to rub; to scrub
  • 捏— to pinch; to knead
  • 按摩— to massage

Antonyms

  • 展— to spread out; to unfold
  • 平— to flatten; to smooth

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She rubbed her sore shoulder (揉肩膀).
  • Knead the dough until smooth (揉面团).
  • He crumpled the paper into a ball (把纸揉成一团).
  • The therapist massaged the tense muscles (揉捏肌肉).

Collocations

  • To rub the eyes(揉眼睛)
  • To knead dough(揉面)
  • To massage(揉捏)
  • To rub and twist(揉搓)
  • To crumple paper(揉纸)
  • To knead and press(揉按)

Idioms

  • To twist facts and reason falsely(揉眵抹泪 - though this is more literal about rubbing tears)
  • Kneading clay and molding dough(揉泥捏面 - descriptive idiom for working with pliable materials)
  • To gloss over faults(揉而过之 - to rub over and pass by)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Associated with traditional Chinese massage techniques (推拿) and therapeutic touch.
  • Important in culinary contexts, especially in dough preparation for noodles and dumplings.
  • Used metaphorically for manipulating information or situations.

FAQ