How to Write 捋 (lǚ) — Meaning “to stroke or smooth out”

Picture yourself using your hand (扌) to slowly stroke a long, smooth beard (think of the right side 寽 as looking like a flowing beard). Imagine the motion of your fingers smoothing out the hairs in a calm, deliberate way. This visual trick connects the hand action to the meaning of "to stroke or smooth out."

Pay attention to the right side shape 寽, which is made of 爫 (claw) on top and 寸 (inch) below, and keep its strokes compact. A common mistake is confusing it with 将, which has a different right side — do not add extra strokes. Write the hand radical first, then the upper part 爫, then 寸, making sure the whole character is balanced with the vertical stroke of 寸 slightly extending down.

Comparing with 抨 (pēng, "to attack or impeach"): 捋 uses 寽 on the right, while 抨 uses 平, and they sound completely different — lǚ vs pēng. The rare character 㧜 (unknown meaning) also uses a different right side; 捋 is specifically for gentle hand actions like stroking or smoothing, while 抨 involves verbal or written criticism. The visual difference lies in the right-side component, so focus on 寽 versus 平 or other shapes.

You often see 捋 in everyday phrases like 捋胡子 (lǚ hú zi, "to stroke one's beard") and 捋起袖子 (lǚ qǐ xiù zi, "to roll up one's sleeves"). The first phrase is culturally associated with elderly wise men thinking or relaxing, while the second is used before starting physical work. Despite not being in HSK, it is common in casual speech and literature.

Common words containing 捋 include: 捋胡子 (lǚ hú zǐ) — to stroke one's beard; 捋起袖子 (lǚ qǐ xiù zi) — to roll up one's sleeves; 捋顺 (lǚ shùn) — to smooth out.