How to Write 揍 (zòu) — Meaning “To hit or beat”

Think of a drummer (奏) hitting drums with both hands (扌) — the character looks like two hands over a drum. The action of beating drums is similar to beating someone or something in a rhythmic way.

The left radical 扌 has 3 strokes: horizontal, vertical hook, and a short lift; keep it narrow. The right part 奏 has 9 strokes: start with the top horizontal, then two slanted lines like a roof, then a vertical line through them, then a horizontal, and finally a large horizontal stroke at the bottom. Common mistake is making the right side too tall or forgetting the top horizontal stroke.

挨 (āi) means 'to suffer' or 'to endure' a blow, often used in 挨打 (get hit), not the action of hitting. 挫 (cuò) means 'to defeat' or 'to frustrate', as in 挫折 (setback), not physical hitting. 揍 is specifically the active action of physically beating someone with your hands or fists.

揍 is a colloquial, informal word for hitting or beating someone, often with fists, and can sound harsh or aggressive. It appears in phrases like 揍人 (beat someone up) or 欠揍 (asking for a beating), but is not used in polite or formal contexts — it's more common in daily speech, movies, or warnings.

Common words containing 揍 include: 挨揍 (āi zòu) — get beaten up; 揍人 (zòu rén) — To beat someone up; 欠揍 (qiàn zòu) — Asking for a beating / Deserving a punch.