揣 (chuāi) - To estimate & to guess

揣Tone 1

chuāi ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

揣 · chuāi

To estimate;

to guess;

to surmise;

to measure;

to tuck or hide in clothing;

also to feel or probe.

To estimateto guessto surmise

Usage highlights

To guess or estimateTo ponder or figure outTo measure or gaugeTo tuck into clothingTo hide in one's bosomTo make a conjecture

Synonyms

  • 猜— to guess
  • 估— to estimate
  • 测— to measure or conjecture

Antonyms

  • 确知— to know for certain
  • 肯定— to affirm or be certain

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I tried to guess his intentions (揣测他的意图).
  • She tucked the letter into her pocket (把信揣进口袋).
  • He was measuring the depth of the water (揣度水深).
  • The detective tried to figure out the criminal's motive (揣摩罪犯的动机).

Collocations

  • To guess or estimate(揣测)
  • To ponder or figure out(揣摩)
  • To measure or gauge(揣度)
  • To tuck into clothing(揣在怀里)
  • To hide in one's bosom(揣兜)
  • To make a conjecture(揣想)

Idioms

  • Unable to fathom the mystery(不揣冒昧)
  • Measure one's own limited ability(揣合逢迎)
  • Hide a dagger in a smile(笑里揣刀)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted the action of measuring or estimating with hands, later extended to mental estimation.
  • In classical Chinese, often used in contexts of careful consideration and judgment.
  • The character combines hand radical with duan, suggesting manual measurement as basis for estimation.

FAQ