How to Write 掬 (jū) — Meaning “to scoop up with both hands”

Imagine you are scooping up water from a stream with both hands — your hands form a "U" shape like the inner part 匊. The left side 扌 reminds you it's a hand action, so picture your hands cupped together ready to gather water. This visual of "hands making a cup" helps link the shape to the meaning.

Pay attention to the right part 匊: it has a top 勹 (wrapping) and a bottom 米 (rice), so do not confuse the top with 勹 from other characters. The left radical 扌 should be slender and slightly taller, with the hand stroke lifting up before the hook. Common mistakes include making the right side too wide or forgetting the dot inside 米.

拜 (bài) means "to worship" and has two hand radicals 手 on both sides, while 掬 has only one hand radical 扌 on the left. 括 (kuò) means "to include" and uses the phonetic 舌 (tongue) on the right, whereas 掬 uses 匊. Visually, 拜 is wider and symmetrical, 括 has a flat top 扌+舌, and 掬 has a compact right side with 米 inside.

掬 today appears mostly in fixed idioms like 笑容可掬 (xiào róng kě jū, "to be all smiles") and 憨态可掬 (hān tài kě jū, "charmingly naive"), describing expressions that seem to be scooped up and shown. It is not a common verb in daily speech, but these idioms are used to portray warm, genuine emotions. The literal meaning "to scoop with both hands" survives in literary descriptions such as 掬起一捧水 (jū qǐ yī pěng shuǐ, "to scoop up a handful of water").

Common words containing 掬 include: 笑容可掬 (xiào róng kě jū) — Be all smiles; 憨态可掬 (hān tài kě jū) — charmingly naive; 掬起 (jū qǐ) — to scoop up (with both hands).