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扢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
扢gǔto clean, to rubzg, 6 strokes, radical 扌
扢gǔcleanunknown, 6 strokes, radical 扌
扢gǔsprightfulunknown, 6 strokes, radical 扌
扢xìto clean, to rubzg, 6 strokes, radical 扌
扢xìcleanunknown, 6 strokes, radical 扌
扢xìsprightfulunknown, 6 strokes, radical 扌
gǔ(gu3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1to clean, to rub
  2. 2clean
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

扢gǔ(gu3)

The character 扢 (gǔ) conveys the idea of cleaning or rubbing something to make it clean. It can also imply a sense of liveliness or sprightfulness, suggesting an action that requires energy. This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation but may appear in more formal or literary contexts.

Strokes6Radical扌
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, cleanliness is highly valued, and the act of cleaning often symbolizes a fresh start or renewal, especially during important festivals like the Lunar New Year. The character 扢 reflects this cultural significance of cleanliness.

Memory Tip

Imagine a lively little creature (the character's form) energetically rubbing a surface to make it shine. The shape of 扢 can be visualized as a person with arms (扢) helping clean a surface with enthusiasm, reminding you of 'gǔ' as in 'get it clean!'

Meanings of 扢

gǔ(gu3)
primary
1to clean, to rub
2clean
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 扢

扢Simplified
6Strokes
扌Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 扢

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Podcast: 扢

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AI Study Notes for 扢

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 扢 with similar characters related to cleaning, such as 洗 (xǐ) meaning 'to wash.' It's important to use 扢 in contexts specifically about rubbing or cleaning through friction, rather than washing with water. This character is more formal, so it may not be suitable for casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Although 扢 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, understanding it can enhance your grasp of related verbs at HSK level 3 and beyond. Focus on the action-oriented aspect of the character and practice using it in sentences that describe cleaning or rubbing actions.

Common Mistakes

A frequent mistake is using 扢 interchangeably with 洗, as in '我在洗桌子' (I am cleaning the table), which is incorrect if you mean to emphasize rubbing. The correct usage would be '我在扢桌子.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 扢

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Etymology of 扢

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

hand

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 扢

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half乞 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 扢? 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 扢?

Decomposition of 扢

IDS Structure⿰扌乞
扢Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
乞qi3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 扢?

How to say to clean, to rub in Chinese

“to clean, to rub” in Chinese is扢gǔ

The character 扢 (gǔ) conveys the idea of cleaning or rubbing something to make it clean. It can also imply a sense of liveliness or sprightfulness, suggesting an action that requires energy. This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation but may appear in more formal or literary contexts.

When to use 扢

Learners often confuse 扢 with similar characters related to cleaning, such as 洗 (xǐ) meaning 'to wash.' It's important to use 扢 in contexts specifically about rubbing or cleaning through friction, rather than washing with water. This character is more formal, so it may not be suitable for casual conversation.

What learners get wrong

A frequent mistake is using 扢 interchangeably with 洗, as in '我在洗桌子' (I am cleaning the table), which is incorrect if you mean to emphasize rubbing. The correct usage would be '我在扢桌子.'

Write 扢

扢

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Frequently Asked Questions about 扢

No, 扢 is more likely to be found in formal or literary texts rather than everyday speech.

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