How to Write 掱 (pá) — Meaning “pickpocket”

Imagine a pickpocket with three hands: two of his own hands and one stolen hand hidden in a bag. The three 手 radicals visually create this image, reminding you that a pickpocket needs many hands to steal.

Write each 手 component with the same standard stroke order: short left-falling stroke, then horizontal hook, vertical hook, and final horizontal. The key is to space the three 手 evenly so the whole character looks balanced, not crowded.

掱 has three identical 手 parts lined up, while 拳 has a 卷 (curled) top above a single 手, meaning fist, and 拿 has 合 (combine) above a 手, meaning to take. Visually, 掱 looks like three hands, not two different components.

掱 is rare and mostly appears in the word 掱手 (pá shǒu), meaning pickpocket, often used in police reports or cautionary signs. You might see it in phrases like 抓掱手 (catch a pickpocket), but everyday conversation usually uses 小偷 (xiǎo tōu) instead.

Common words containing 掱 include: 掱手 (pá shǒu) — pickpocket; 抓掱手 (zhuā pá shǒu) — Catch a pickpocket; 那个掱手 (nà ge pá shǒu) — That pickpocket..