The character 抓 — “grab”: how to write it and what it means
grab, catch
The Chinese character 抓 is read zhuā and means “grab, catch”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 抓
抓 has 7 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 抓, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 抓 is made of
On the left, 扌 “hand”; on the right, 爪 zhǎo “claw” gives both meaning and reading.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 抓
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 抓?
抓 has 7 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 抓 mean?
抓 means “grab, catch”. It appears in 抓紧 (“make the most of time”).
How do you pronounce 抓?
抓 is read zhuā. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 抓 have?
7 strokes.
← 扶 support with the hand抢 snatch →
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 抓 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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