How to Write 挎 (kuà) — Meaning “to carry on the arm or shoulder”

Imagine your hand (扌) is holding a large bag that you '夸' (proudly show off) on your shoulder. The sound 'kuà' can remind you of 'crate' or 'carry'—picture carrying a crate on your arm. This visual of a hand with a big shoulder bag helps lock in the meaning.

First write the hand radical 扌 with three strokes, then the right side 夸 in six strokes. Pay attention to the bottom part of 夸: it is 亏, which has two horizontal lines and a vertical hook—do not add an extra left-falling stroke. Keep the left side narrow and the right side wide, so the overall character looks balanced.

挎 (kuà) means to carry on the arm or shoulder, while 扭 (niǔ) means to twist or turn. Visually, 挎 has the right side 夸 (a big person plus 亏), whereas 扭 has the right side 丑 (meaning ugly). The hand radical is the same, but the different right parts give completely different meanings.

You often see 挎 in words like 挎包 (shoulder bag) and 挎着 (carrying something on the arm). It is also used in 挎胳膊 (to link arms), which is a common friendly gesture between people walking together. This character is informal but very practical for daily life.

Common words containing 挎 include: 挎包 (kuà bāo) — shoulder bag; satchel; 挎着 (kuà zhe) — carrying on the arm; 挎胳膊 (kuà gē bó) — to link arms.