How to Write 爪 (zhǎo/zhuǎ) — Meaning “Claw / Paw”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember the character 爪?

Imagine the character 爪 looks like a bird's foot with three toes gripping a branch. The two left-falling strokes are the toes, the vertical stroke is the middle toe, and the bottom stroke is the foot pad.

Q: What should I be careful about when writing 爪?

Pay attention to stroke order: first two strokes are left-falling (撇), then a vertical (竖), and finally a right-falling (捺). A common mistake is making the bottom stroke too flat or disconnected; it should curve slightly to the right and connect smoothly with the vertical line.

Q: How is 爪 different from the similar character 爫?

爪 is a standalone character meaning "claw" or "paw," while 爫 is a compressed radical form used only at the top of other characters (like in 采 cǎi or 爱 ài). 爫 has flatter, shorter strokes and never appears alone in modern Chinese.

Q: Where is 爪 used in modern Chinese and are there any cultural notes?

爪 appears in words like 爪牙 (zhǎo yá, henchmen or lackeys) and 鸡爪子 (jī zhuǎ zi, chicken feet). Chicken feet are a popular dish in Chinese cuisine, often steamed or braised, so you may see 爪子 used on menus.

Q: What common words use 爪?

Common words containing 爪 include: 爪牙 (zhǎo yá) — Henchmen / Lackeys; 前爪 (qián zhǎo) — Forepaw; front claw; 鸡爪子 (jī zhuǎ zi) — Chicken feet.

zhǎo/zhuǎ HSK Level 7 4 strokes Radical: 爪

爪 (zhǎo/zhuǎ) means "Claw / Paw" in Chinese. It has 4 strokes with the radical 爪, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 2/5 in difficulty (beginner-friendly).

Harder than 0% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 爪牙 (zhǎo yá), 前爪 (qián zhǎo), 鸡爪子 (jī zhuǎ zi).

In the Hanzi Writer app, most learners master 爪 within 3 practice attempts using stroke-by-stroke animation.

Practice Writing 爪 (zhǎo/zhuǎ)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 爪 with real-time feedback.

App Store ▶ Google Play

How to Write 爪

The character 爪 (zhǎo/zhuǎ) is written with 4 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 爪 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does zhǎo/zhuǎ (爪) Mean in Chinese?

爪 means Claw / Paw.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: zhǎo, zhuǎ.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 爪 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character	爪
Pinyin	zhǎo / zhuǎ (zhao/zhua)
Meaning	Claw / Paw
Strokes	4
Radical	爪
HSK Level	7
Difficulty	2/5

Origin of 爪

爪 is a pictograph of a hand with curved fingers or claws reaching downward. Its ancient form (like in oracle bone script) vividly showed a clawed hand grabbing or scratching. The modern shape still suggests a claw with three curved strokes and a central line.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a bird's claw (爪) gripping a branch, with the three curved strokes as talons and the vertical line as the foot.

Common Words with 爪

爪牙 zhǎo yá

Henchmen / Lackeys

前爪 qián zhǎo

Forepaw; front claw

鸡爪子 jī zhuǎ zi

Chicken feet

狗爪子 gǒu zhuǎ zi

Dog paw

Example Sentences

邪恶的头目指使他的爪牙到处横行霸道。

xié è de tóu mù zhǐ shǐ tā de zhǎo yá dào chù héng xíng bà dào

The evil leader ordered his henchmen to act tyrannically everywhere.

狮子用强有力的前爪按住了逃跑的猎物。

shī zi yòng qiáng yǒu lì de qián zhǎo àn zhù le táo pǎo de liè wù

The lion pinned down the escaping prey with its powerful front paws.

凉拌鸡爪子是夏日里非常受欢迎的一道菜。

liáng bàn jī zhuǎ zi shì xià rì lǐ fēi cháng shòu huān yíng de yī dào cài

Cold-dressed chicken feet is a very popular dish in summer.

小狗在雪地上留下了许多梅花般的狗爪子印。

xiǎo gǒu zài xuě dì shàng liú xià le xǔ duō méi huā bān de gǒu zhuǎ zi yìn

The puppy left many plum-blossom-like paw prints on the snow.

Practice Writing 爪 (zhǎo/zhuǎ)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 爪 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 爪

What are the components of 爪 and how do they relate to its meaning?

爪 is a pictographic character that resembles a claw or a hand with curved fingers. Its shape directly depicts an animal's paw or talon, with the top part representing the fingers and the bottom stroke suggesting the palm or wrist.

What is a good memory trick to remember the character 爪?

What should I be careful about when writing 爪?

How is 爪 different from the similar character 爫?

Where is 爪 used in modern Chinese and are there any cultural notes?

What common words use 爪?

How to Write 爪 (zhǎo/zhuǎ) — Meaning “Claw / Paw”

Practice Writing 爪 (zhǎo/zhuǎ)

How to Write 爪

What Does zhǎo/zhuǎ (爪) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 爪

Common Words with 爪

Example Sentences

Practice Writing 爪 (zhǎo/zhuǎ)

Frequently Asked Questions about 爪

More HSK Level 7 Characters

Characters with Radical 爪

Other 4-Stroke Characters