Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
撾 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
撾wōto beat; to strikex, 15 strokes, radical 扌
wō(wo1) T1
  1. 1to beat; to strike
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

撾wō(wo1)

The character 撾 (wō) means 'to beat' or 'to strike.' It is often used in contexts involving physical force or impact, such as hitting an object or striking a surface. This word can be found in both literal and figurative expressions, reflecting the action of inflicting force.

Strokes15Radical扌
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese martial arts, the concept of striking is crucial, and specific techniques may utilize the term 撾 to describe certain types of strikes. This reflects the importance of precision and technique in Chinese combat practices.

Memory Tip

Imagine a drum (the radical 撾 resembles a hand striking a drum) where the sound represents the action of beating. The 'w' in 'wō' can be remembered as 'whack,' similar to the sound of striking something.

Meanings of 撾

wō(wo1)
1to beat; to strike
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 撾

撾Simplified
15Strokes
扌Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 撾

JasonAmy

Podcast: 撾

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 撾

Usage Notes

This character is generally used in more formal or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Learners should be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. Common collocations include 撾打 (wō dǎ) meaning 'to strike' or 'to hit.'

HSK Study Tips

While 撾 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with other HSK words related to actions and physical movements. Students should focus on the radicals and components of the character to help remember its meaning and pronunciation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 撾 with 打 (dǎ), which also means 'to hit' but is used more commonly in everyday language. For example, saying '我撾他' (wǒ wō tā) instead of '我打他' (wǒ dǎ tā) would sound overly formal or unusual.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 撾

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 撾 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 撾

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

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 过 represents the sound. Simplified form of 撾.

Memory Hint

hand

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 撾

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 过 represents the sound. Simplified form of 撾.

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half過 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 撾? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 撾?

Decomposition of 撾

IDS Structure⿰扌過
撾Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
過guo4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 撾?

How to say to beat; to strike in Chinese

“to beat; to strike” in Chinese is撾wō

The character 撾 (wō) means 'to beat' or 'to strike.' It is often used in contexts involving physical force or impact, such as hitting an object or striking a surface. This word can be found in both literal and figurative expressions, reflecting the action of inflicting force.

When to use 撾

This character is generally used in more formal or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Learners should be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. Common collocations include 撾打 (wō dǎ) meaning 'to strike' or 'to hit.'

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 撾 with 打 (dǎ), which also means 'to hit' but is used more commonly in everyday language. For example, saying '我撾他' (wǒ wō tā) instead of '我打他' (wǒ dǎ tā) would sound overly formal or unusual.

Write 撾

撾

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 撾

Words Containing This Character2
老挝Laos老撾
挝wōancient weapon with a tip shaped like a hand or claw撾
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 老挝 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 撾

It is pronounced as 'wō' with a flat, high tone.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 撾?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.