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揠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
揠yàto weed out, to pull up, to eradicatei, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #62746, Very Hard
yà(ya4) T4
  1. 1to weed out, to pull up, to eradicate
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March 24, 2026

揠yà(ya4)

The character 揠 (yà) primarily means to weed out or pull up, often in the context of removing unwanted plants or elements. It conveys a sense of eradicating something undesirable, and is used in both agricultural and metaphorical contexts, such as eliminating bad influences or habits.

Strokes12Radical扌Frequency#62746DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The notion of weeding out negative influences is significant in Chinese culture, often reflected in traditional teachings that emphasize self-improvement and the importance of a positive environment. This character can symbolize the effort required to cultivate a healthy life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a gardener pulling out stubborn weeds from a field. The character 揠 has a hand radical (扌) that represents the action of pulling, while the left side resembles a plant being yanked from the soil. This vivid image connects the character's meaning to its pronunciation, yà.

Meanings of 揠

yà(ya4)
1to weed out, to pull up, to eradicate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 揠

揠Simplified
12Strokes
扌Radical
成语chéngyǔidiom (id.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 揠

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Podcast: 揠

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AI Study Notes for 揠

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 揠 with similar characters that might have slightly different meanings. This term is more formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation, so it's best suited for written contexts. Common collocations include phrases involving eradicating bad habits or influences.

HSK Study Tips

While 揠 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your comprehension of related words dealing with removal or eradication. Focus on the context in which this character is used to grasp its nuances more effectively.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 揠 with 拔 (bá), leading to incorrect usage in contexts. For example, saying '我想拔坏习惯' ('I want to pull up bad habits') instead of using 揠 would be incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我想揠坏习惯'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 揠

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Etymology of 揠

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
+
Phonetic (sound)匽
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 揠

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half匽 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhand
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 揠? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

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Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 揠?

Decomposition of 揠

IDS Structure⿰扌匽
揠Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
匽yan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 揠?

How to say to weed out, to pull up, to eradicate in Chinese

“to weed out, to pull up, to eradicate” in Chinese is揠yà

The character 揠 (yà) primarily means to weed out or pull up, often in the context of removing unwanted plants or elements. It conveys a sense of eradicating something undesirable, and is used in both agricultural and metaphorical contexts, such as eliminating bad influences or habits.

When to use 揠

Be careful not to confuse 揠 with similar characters that might have slightly different meanings. This term is more formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation, so it's best suited for written contexts. Common collocations include phrases involving eradicating bad habits or influences.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 揠 with 拔 (bá), leading to incorrect usage in contexts. For example, saying '我想拔坏习惯' ('I want to pull up bad habits') instead of using 揠 would be incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我想揠坏习惯'.

Write 揠

揠

Practice writing 揠 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 揠

Words Containing This Character2
揠yàto eradicate
揠苗助长to spoil things through excessive enthusiasm (idiom)揠苗助長
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 揠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 揠

You can use 揠 when discussing gardening or metaphorically when talking about removing negative influences or habits.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 揠?

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