How to Write 搓 (cuō) — Meaning “to rub with hands”

Imagine you are rubbing your hands together because you feel a 'difference' (差) in temperature—your hands are cold. The hand radical 扌 reminds you it's a hand action, and the sound cuō is close to 'cold rub'.

Write the left radical 扌 first (horizontal, vertical hook, lift), then the right part 差 starting with the top 爫 (three strokes like a claw). Keep the right side slightly wider than the left, and make sure the final horizontal stroke 一 is long and balanced.

搓 (cuō) means 'to rub with hands', 挨 (āi) means 'to lean on' or 'to endure', and 挫 (cuò) means 'to defeat' or 'to frustrate'. Visually, 搓 has 差 on the right, 挨 has 矣, and 挫 has 坐; the hand radical is shared, so focus on the right side.

搓 is common in daily life, like 搓手 (rubbing hands to warm up) or 搓澡 (scrubbing the body during a bath). In northern China, 搓澡 is a traditional bathhouse practice where a helper scrubs your back with a cloth.

Common words containing 搓 include: 搓手 (cuō shǒu) — to rub one's hands; 搓澡 (cuō zǎo) — to scrub one's body (during a bath); 搓绳子 (cuō shéng zi) — to twist a rope.