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掖 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
掖yēto tuck, to fold; to supportv, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yēto tuck (into a pocket)unknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yēto support by the armunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yēto hideunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yēto helpunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yēto concealunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yēto promoteunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yēat the sideunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yēalso pr. [yi4]unknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèto tuck, to fold; to supportv, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèto tuck (into a pocket)unknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèto support by the armunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèto hideunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèto helpunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèto concealunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèto promoteunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèat the sideunknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
掖yèalso pr. [yi4]unknown, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #23006, Very Hard
yē(ye1)
primary
T1
  1. 1to tuck, to fold; to support
  2. 2to tuck (into a pocket)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

掖yē(ye1)

The character 掖 (yē) primarily means 'to tuck' or 'to fold,' often in the context of clothing or items being secured or hidden. It can also convey the idea of supporting or helping someone, making it versatile in both physical and metaphorical contexts, such as aiding someone discreetly.

Strokes11Radical扌Frequency#23006DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of tucking or concealing items can reflect values of modesty and discretion, often seen in traditional practices where items are kept hidden until needed.

Memory Tip

Imagine tucking a friend under your arm as you walk together, symbolizing both support and concealment. The character 掖 resembles a hand (扌) tucking something in (the bottom part) while the '口' represents the pocket where things might be hidden.

Meanings of 掖

yē(ye1)
primary
1to tuck, to fold; to support
2to tuck (into a pocket)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 掖

掖Simplified
11Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 掖

JasonAmy

Podcast: 掖

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 掖

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 掖 with similar characters like 抱 (bào), which means 'to hold.' This character is more informal and is rarely used in formal writing. Be cautious of the pronunciation as it can also be read as [yi4] in different contexts, which can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 掖 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it shares components with higher-level words and can be linked to verbs of action and support. Students should focus on recognizing the context in which this character is used to enhance their comprehension.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 掖 with 抱 (bào) due to similar meanings related to support. For instance, saying '我抱着他' (wǒ bào zhe tā) instead of '我掖着他' (wǒ yē zhe tā) when referring to simply helping someone can lead to awkwardness in context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 掖

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Etymology of 掖

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

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 夜 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

hand

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 掖

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 夜 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half夜 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 掖? 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 掖?

Decomposition of 掖

IDS Structure⿰扌夜
掖Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
夜ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 掖?

How to say to tuck, to fold; to support in Chinese

“to tuck, to fold; to support” in Chinese is掖yē

The character 掖 (yē) primarily means 'to tuck' or 'to fold,' often in the context of clothing or items being secured or hidden. It can also convey the idea of supporting or helping someone, making it versatile in both physical and metaphorical contexts, such as aiding someone discreetly.

When to use 掖

Common mistakes include confusing 掖 with similar characters like 抱 (bào), which means 'to hold.' This character is more informal and is rarely used in formal writing. Be cautious of the pronunciation as it can also be read as [yi4] in different contexts, which can lead to misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 掖 with 抱 (bào) due to similar meanings related to support. For instance, saying '我抱着他' (wǒ bào zhe tā) instead of '我掖着他' (wǒ yē zhe tā) when referring to simply helping someone can lead to awkwardness in context.

Write 掖

掖

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 掖

掖 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 9 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

会有人给他____好被子,让他舒舒服服地睡觉。

He would be tucked comfortably into bed.

Example Sentences for 掖 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
会有人给他掖好被子,让他舒舒服服地睡觉。

huì yǒu rén gěi tā yè hǎo bèi zǐ, , ràng tā shū shū fú fú dì shuì。

He would be tucked comfortably into bed.

Word Family of 掖

Words Containing This Character10
掖yēto help
张掖Zhangye prefecture level city in Gansu張掖
张掖市Zhangye prefecture level city in Gansu張掖市
奖掖to reward and promote獎掖
宫掖palace apartments宮掖
扶掖to support
张掖地区Zhangye prefecture, Gansu (old term)張掖地區
藏掖hiding place
藏藏掖掖to conceal
提掖to guide and support sb
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 掖 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 掖

Common phrases might include 掖着 (yē zhe), meaning 'tucked in,' or 掖在口袋里 (yē zài kǒudài lǐ), meaning 'tucked in the pocket.'

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