How to Write 拳 (quán) — Meaning “fist”

Imagine two hands holding a round stone: the top part (䏍) looks like two hands wrapping around something, and 手 (hand) below shows the actual hand. So picture your hands curling into a fist around a stone.

The top part 䏍 has two horizontal strokes that should be drawn with equal length and not too close together. Also, the lower 手 component must be written with a clear vertical hook, not a straight stroke, so the fist shape looks balanced.

拳 means "fist" and focuses on the hand as a weapon, while 承 means "to bear" or "to receive" and contains a different top element (了 radicals). 拿 means "to hold" or "to take" and has 手 on the left with 合 on the right, so it emphasizes the action of holding, not a closed fist.

拳 appears in words like 太极拳 (tài jí quán, Tai Chi), a famous martial art for health, and 拳击 (quán jī, boxing). It often relates to combat sports or traditional Chinese exercises, so you will hear it in contexts of fitness, self-defense, or martial arts training.

Common words containing 拳 include: 拳头 (quán tou) — fist; 太极拳 (tài jí quán) — Tai Chi; 拳击 (quán jī) — boxing.