How to Write 揉 (róu) — Meaning “To rub or knead”

Imagine using your hand (扌) to make soft (柔) dough — you are "揉ing" the dough. Picture yourself gently rubbing your eyes (揉眼) with a soft touch to connect the shape to the meaning.

Pay careful attention to the top part of 柔: it starts with a 横撇 stroke, then a dot, then horizontal and vertical strokes. A common mistake is making the 矛 part too wide — keep it narrow so the whole character stays balanced with the 扌 radical on the left.

揉 means to rub or knead with the hand, while 挨 (āi) means to lean against or endure, and 挫 (cuò) means to defeat or frustrate. Visually, 揉 contains 柔, 挨 contains 矣, and 挫 contains 坐 — their pronunciations and meanings are completely different.

揉 is commonly used in daily actions like 揉眼 (rub one's eyes) and cooking with 揉面 (knead dough). In Chinese culture, kneading dough by hand is a traditional skill, so 揉面 often appears in recipes and cooking shows.

Common words containing 揉 include: 揉眼 (róu yǎn) — To rub one's eyes; 揉面 (róu miàn) — To knead dough; 揉搓 (róu cuō) — To rub or scrub.