How to Write 揽 (lǎn) — Meaning “to embrace; to take into one's arms”

Imagine you use your hand (扌) to 'look' (览) at something you want to embrace. Picture a person admiring a beautiful scene and then reaching out with their arms to pull it all in. This visual links the hand action with the idea of taking into your arms.

Write the left radical 扌 first: horizontal, vertical hook, then lift. For the right side 览, start with a vertical stroke at the top, not a dot. Make sure the bottom part 见 ends with a vertical hook stroke, not a straight line. A common mistake is writing the top part as 亦 or forgetting the hook in 见.

揽 means 'to embrace' or 'to solicit' and uses 览 on the right, while 挨 (āi) means 'to lean' or 'to endure' and has 矣 on the right. 挫 (cuò) means 'to defeat' or 'to frustrate' and has 坐 on the right. Focus on the right-side component: 览 (view), 矣 (a particle), and 坐 (sit) are visually distinct.

揽 is used for physical hugging (揽住) and for taking on responsibilities (包揽, to take on everything). In business, 揽客 means to solicit customers, like a shop owner calling out to people. Culturally, 揽 often implies a proactive, embracing attitude, whether hugging a person or taking charge of a task.

Common words containing 揽 include: 揽客 (lǎn kè) — to solicit customers; 揽住 (lǎn zhù) — to hold in one's arms; to hug; 包揽 (bāo lǎn) — to take on everything; to monopolize.