How to Write 抬 (tái) — Meaning “to lift or carry”

Picture your hand (扌) lifting a small platform (台) off the ground. The top part of 台 looks like a tabletop, and the bottom part like legs, so you are using your hand to raise the whole thing up.

Write the hand radical first with three quick strokes, keeping it narrow and vertical. The right part 台 starts with a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal line, then the mouth component; be careful not to make the hand radical too wide or the right part too small.

托 (tuō) means to support or hold in the palm, with the right side 乇 looking like a cross or sprout, while 抬 uses 台 (platform) and emphasizes lifting upward. 㧜 is a rare character with a different right component; in modern Chinese only 抬 and 托 are commonly used, and their meanings are distinct—lift versus support.

抬 appears in common phrases like 抬头 (raise your head) and 抬手 (raise your hand). It is also used for raising prices or status, such as 抬价 (raise price). In Chinese culture, 抬头 can also mean "to look up" as a sign of respect or acknowledgment.

Common words containing 抬 include: 抬头 (tái tóu) — to raise one's head; 抬走 (tái zǒu) — to carry away; 抬手 (tái shǒu) — to raise one's hand.