How to Write 搐 (chù) — Meaning “to twitch; to convulse”

Imagine a farmer (畜) raising livestock, but one animal suddenly starts twitching violently, so the farmer uses his hand (扌) to calm it. The hand and the livestock combine to create the idea of a convulsion.

The right side 畜 has a top component 玄 (dark, subtle), not 幺 (tiny). Be careful to write the horizontal strokes inside 玄 clearly; the bottom part 田 is wider. The radical 扌's hook should align with the center of 畜. A common mistake is making the right side too narrow.

挲 (suō) means to rub or stroke with the hand, like in 摩挲 (mó suō, to stroke gently), unrelated to jerking. 捧 (pěng) means to hold up with both hands, like 捧场 (pěng chǎng, to support). Unlike both, 搐 specifically describes sudden, uncontrolled muscle movements.

搐 appears mainly in medical or descriptive contexts, most commonly in the word 抽搐 (chōu chù), meaning a twitch or convulsion, often describing a symptom of illness or emotional shock. It is not a casual daily word, so learners typically encounter it in health discussions or literature about physical reactions.

Common words containing 搐 include: 抽搐 (chōu chù) — twitch; convulsion; 搐动 (chù dòng) — to twitch; to jerk; 搐鼻 (chù bí) — to twitch one's nose.