How to Write 掊 (póu) — Meaning “to dig or strike”

Imagine your hand (扌) digging a hole to bury a treasure, and you say "pǒu" as you throw dirt out. The right side 咅 looks like a mouth (口) above a standing person (立), so picture a person shouting while digging. This links the sound and action together.

The left radical 扌 has three strokes: horizontal, vertical hook, and a short lift. The right side 咅 has 7 strokes: first a dot, then a horizontal line, then a reversed mouth (口) shape, and finally a vertical line with a dot below. Be careful not to make the right side too wide; keep it balanced and compact.

掊 (póu) means to dig or strike, while 拜 (bài) means to worship or bow, and 括 (kuò) means to include or wrap. Visually, 掊 has 扌 on the left with 咅, 拜 combines 手 and 拜 (which looks like a hand gesture), and 括 has 扌 with 舌 (tongue). Their meanings are unrelated despite sharing the hand radical.

掊 is not common in everyday speech but appears in formal or literary contexts. Common words include 掊击 (to denounce verbally), 掊聚 (to amass wealth greedily), and 掊坑 (to dig a pit). It often carries a negative tone, especially in 掊聚, which criticizes selfish accumulation of money.

Common words containing 掊 include: 掊击 (póu jī) — to denounce or attack verbally; 掊聚 (póu jù) — to amass wealth greedily; 掊坑 (póu kēng) — to dig a pit.