How to Write 擂 (léi/lèi) — Meaning “to beat (a drum); to pound”

Picture a hand (扌) hitting a drum so hard it makes a noise like thunder (雷). The visual of a hand and a thundercloud together helps you recall that 擂 means to beat or pound, especially a drum. You can also think of a "thunder hand" that pounds loudly.

Pay special attention to the right side 雷: it has a horizontal top stroke, then a dot, then a horizontal fold hook, and multiple strokes below. A common mistake is making the 雷 part too tall or forgetting the dot inside the top. Also, the left radical 扌 should be narrow and slightly taller than the right side for balance.

擂 has the hand radical plus 雷 (thunder) and means to beat or pound. 摔 (shuāi) has a different right part (率) and means to fall or throw down. 摘 (zhāi) has the right part 啇 and means to pick or pluck. Even though all three start with 扌, their right-side components give them completely different meanings.

You most often see 擂 in the word 擂鼓 (léi gǔ), meaning to beat a drum, used in traditional ceremonies and martial arts shows. Another common word is 擂台 (lèi tái), an arena for competitive challenges, famous from kung fu movies. In slang, 打擂 (dǎ lèi) can mean to accept a challenge or compete in a contest.

Common words containing 擂 include: 擂台 (lèi tái) — arena; challenge stage; 打擂 (dǎ lèi) — to take part in a contest; to challenge; 擂鼓 (léi gǔ) — to beat a drum.