How to Write 捏 (niē) — Meaning “to pinch or mold”

Picture using your hand (扌) to pinch a lump of soil (土) under the bright sun (日) to shape it into a small figure. This combines all three parts into one clear image of pinching and molding.

Write the left radical 扌 first, narrow and tall, then the right part starting with 日 (four strokes) and then 土 (three strokes). A common mistake is making the 日 too wide or forgetting the short horizontal inside 日 — keep it compact.

The right side of 捏 has 日 over 土, while 抨 has 平 (meaning flat or level). 捏 means to pinch or mold, but 抨 means to attack or criticize. The visual difference is clear: 捏 has a sun and earth, 抨 has a flat shape.

捏 is commonly used for hand actions like 捏饺子 (to make dumplings) and 捏泥人 (to mold clay figurines). It also appears in everyday phrases like 捏一捏 (give a pinch). Making dumplings by hand is a traditional Chinese family activity, especially during the Spring Festival.

Common words containing 捏 include: 捏饺子 (niē jiǎo zi) — to make dumplings; 捏一捏 (niē yī niē) — to give a pinch; 捏泥人 (niē ní rén) — to mold clay figurines.