How to Write 掐 (qiā) — Meaning “to pinch or nip”

Picture a hand (扌) reaching into a jar (臼, part of 舀) to pinch a small object. The shape on the right resembles a hand scooping out a pinch of salt or a flower bud. This visual of "pinching from a container" links the parts to the meaning of pinching or nipping.

The left radical 扌 is written first with three strokes (horizontal, vertical hook, lift). The right side 舀 has 10 strokes: start with the top claw (丿丶), then the two 臼-like boxes, and finish with the bottom 月 (but note it's actually 舀, not 月). A common mistake is making the right side too wide or confusing it with 舀's bottom part — keep the right side compact and balanced with the left.

掐 has the hand radical 扌 on the left and 舀 on the right, meaning "pinch." 拜 (bài) has a different right component (a non-standard shape meaning "worship") and is used in greetings. 括 (kuò) has 扌 on the left but 舌 (tongue) on the right, meaning "include" or "wrap up." Visually, the right side of 掐 looks like a scooping hand, while 括's right side is clearly 舌.

掐 is used for literal pinching actions, like 掐断 (pinch off) a stem or 掐花 (pick flowers). It also appears in finger-counting idioms like 掐算 (calculate on fingers), common in Chinese folk practice. Culturally, the gesture of pinching fingers is associated with quick mental arithmetic or even fortune-telling, showing the character's link to traditional divination methods.

Common words containing 掐 include: 掐断 (qiā duàn) — to pinch off or cut off; 掐花 (qiā huā) — to pick flowers; 掐算 (qiā suàn) — to calculate on one's fingers.