How to Write 挽 (wǎn) — Meaning “to pull; to draw; to roll up”

Imagine you see a friend about to leave, and you reach out your hand (扌) to pull them back, saying "Wait, don't go!" The right part 免 looks like a person with arms out, and you are trying to "avoid" them leaving. This connects to the common word 挽留 (to urge someone to stay).

Write the left radical 扌 first: a short horizontal, then a vertical hook, and a short upward stroke. The right part 免 has 7 strokes: start with the top horizontal, then a small mouth-like shape, and finally a long vertical stroke that curves slightly at the bottom. A common mistake is making the right part too wide; keep it balanced with the left.

㧜 (not a standard character) is rarely used and has no clear meaning, so avoid confusing it with 挽. 抨 (pēng) means "to impeach" or "to attack verbally," and its right side is 平 (píng), not 免. Visually, 挽 has a right component with a vertical line through a small square, while 抨 has a flat top and a long vertical line.

挽 appears in common phrases like 挽留 (to urge someone to stay) and 挽回 (to redeem or reverse a situation, such as挽回面子 meaning "to save face"). It is also used in 挽手 (arm in arm or to hold hands). Culturally, 挽 carries a sense of effort to hold onto something or restore a relationship, often used in emotional or diplomatic situations.

Common words containing 挽 include: 挽留 (wǎn liú) — to urge someone to stay; 挽回 (wǎn huí) — to retrieve; to redeem; to reverse (a situation); 挽手 (wǎn shǒu) — arm in arm; to hold hands.