How to Write 推 (tuī) — Meaning “to push”

Imagine using your hand (扌) to gently push a small bird (隹) out of your way. This visual of pushing a bird with your hand directly connects the left and right parts to the meaning "to push."

Write the hand radical 扌 first, with the vertical stroke going straight down. The right side 隹 starts with a short left-falling stroke, and be careful not to confuse the top part with 亻—the first stroke of 隹 is a left-falling stroke, not a slanting line. The overall shape should be balanced, with the left side slightly narrower than the right.

推 has the hand radical 扌 plus 隹, meaning "to push." 拜 (bài) on the left uses 扌 but the right side is 拜, meaning "to bow" or "worship"—the right half has many horizontal strokes and no bird shape. 括 (kuò) uses 扌 on the left and 舌 (tongue) on the right, meaning "to include"—the right side is a single character 舌, not 隹.

推 is frequently used in daily actions like 推门 (push the door open) and in abstract contexts like 推荐 (to recommend) and 推广 (to promote or popularize). It appears in business and social settings, such as recommending a product or promoting an idea, and is a practical HSK Level 2 character for everyday conversation.

Common words containing 推 include: 推门 (tuī mén) — to push the door open; 推荐 (tuī jiàn) — to recommend; 推广 (tuī guǎng) — to promote / to popularize.