How to Write 拖 (tuō) — Meaning “To drag / to mop / to delay”

Imagine you are dragging a heavy mop across the floor with your hand (扌). The right part 㐌 looks like a bent object being pulled along the ground. So 拖 means to drag or to mop, as in 拖地 (mopping the floor).

The left radical 扌 must be written narrow and tall, with the last stroke (提) rising upward. On the right, 㐌 has a short horizontal line at top followed by a large 也-like shape; be careful not to make the right side too wide. A common mistake is to write the right part as if it were 也 alone, but 㐌 has a different top stroke.

拖 (tuō) means to drag or to delay, while 托 (tuō) means to hold in the palm or to entrust. Visually, 拖 has the right component 㐌, whereas 托 has the right component 乇 (a simple vertical stroke with a short horizontal). The hand radical 扌 is the same, but the right sides and meanings are completely different. The character 㧜 is very rare and is usually not used in modern Chinese.

拖 appears in everyday words like 拖地 (to mop the floor) and 拖鞋 (slippers, literally shoes that drag). It is also used for procrastination in 拖延 (to delay), which is a common topic in both work and school settings. Culturally, 拖 often carries a negative connotation when referring to delaying tasks, reflecting the value placed on punctuality in Chinese society.

Common words containing 拖 include: 拖地 (tuō dì) — To mop the floor; 拖鞋 (tuō xié) — Slippers; 拖延 (tuō yán) — To delay / to procrastinate.