How to Write 挲 (sā) — Meaning “to stroke; to caress”

Imagine your hand (扌) gently stroking a pile of sand (沙). The soft, flowing motion of your fingers through sand helps you recall that 挲 means 'to stroke' or 'to caress'. This visual connects the left and right parts to the character's meaning.

Pay attention to the right part 沙: the three dots of 氵 should be aligned neatly on the upper left, and the lower part 少 must be written with a vertical hook stroke, a left-falling stroke, and a dot. A common mistake is making the 少 dot too far right, which can make the character unbalanced.

拜 (bài, to bow) has a completely different right side and means to worship or bow, while 括 (kuò, to enclose) has 舌 (tongue) on the right and means to include or bind. Visually, 挲 has 沙 (sand) on the right, so you can remember its stroking meaning by thinking of a hand moving over sand.

挲 is rarely used alone; it appears mainly in the word 摩挲 (mā sā), which means to gently caress or stroke something, often a fabric or object. It can also describe a rustling sound, like leaves brushing together, in literary contexts. You may encounter it in poetry or descriptive prose.

Common words containing 挲 include: 摩挲 (mā sā) — to caress; 挲摩 (sā mó) — to stroke; to caress; 挲挲 (sā sā) — rustling sound; stroking.