How to Write 剐 (guǎ) — Meaning “To cut / To scrape”

Picture a knife (刂) scraping a hard surface, making a sound like "gwa" (guǎ). This connects the pronunciation and the action of scraping or cutting. The left part 咤 looks like a mouth (口) with something inside, reminding you of scraping flesh or paint.

Write the left part 咤 first: top is 口 (stroke order: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal), then inner 冎 (vertical, horizontal fold hook, left-falling, vertical hook). Finish with the right knife radical 刂 (vertical, vertical hook). A common mistake is making the inner 冎 too wide or confusing it with 内 — keep the left part compact.

删 (shān) uses 册 (book) with 刂, meaning to delete text by cutting. 判 (pàn) uses 半 (half) with 刂, meaning to judge or split in half. 剐 (guǎ) focuses on scraping or cutting off thin layers, like scratches on a car, and is not used for editing or judging.

Today 剐 appears mainly in 剐蹭 (guǎ cèng) for scratching a car or object, and in 剐风 (guǎ fēng) for a piercing wind. Historically, 剐 also referred to a cruel punishment of cutting flesh from the body, but this usage is now only found in historical texts.

Common words containing 剐 include: 剐蹭 (guǎ cèng) — To scrape / To graze (a car); 剐肉 (guǎ ròu) — To cut off flesh; 剐风 (guǎ fēng) — Piercing wind.