How to Write 撩 (liāo/liáo) — Meaning “to lift up; to tease; to provoke”

Imagine using your hand (扌) to lift up a curtain, revealing a teasing or provocative sight. This connects the hand action to both the 'lift' and 'tease' meanings.

The right side 尞 has two small dots on top, and the rest is a series of horizontal strokes. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or confusing it with similar shapes like 寮. Pay attention to the exact stroke count of 15.

搋 (chuāi) means to hide or stuff, while 搌 (zhǎn) means to wipe or dust. Visually, 撩 has 尞 on the right (with two dots on top), whereas 搋 has a different right component (like 揣) and 搌 has 展. Their meanings are distinct: 撩 is about lifting or teasing, not hiding or wiping.

You often see 撩 in phrases like 撩起 (to lift up a curtain or clothing) and 撩拨 (to tease or provoke). In slang, 撩人 means 'tantalizing' or 'enchanting', and 撩妹 means 'to flirt with girls'. It carries a playful or romantic tone.

Common words containing 撩 include: 撩起 (liāo qǐ) — to lift up (clothing, curtain, etc.); 撩拨 (liáo bō) — to tease; to provoke; to stir up; 撩人 (liáo rén) — tantalizing; enchanting; provocative.