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揣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
揣chuāito stow in one's clothes; to estimate, to guess, to figureHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #14215, Very Hard
揣chuāito put into (one's pockets, clothes)HSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #14215, Very Hard
揣chuāiTaiwan pr. [chuai3]HSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #14215, Very Hard
揣chuāito surmiseHSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #14215, Very Hard
揣chuǎito stow in one's clothes; to estimate, to guess, to figureHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #14215, Very Hard
揣chuǎito put into (one's pockets, clothes)HSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #14215, Very Hard
揣chuǎiTaiwan pr. [chuai3]HSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #14215, Very Hard
揣chuǎito surmiseHSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #14215, Very Hard
chuāi(chuai1)chuai
primary
T1
  1. 1to stow in one's clothes; to estimate, to guess, to figure
  2. 2to put into (one's pockets, clothes)
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March 24, 2026

揣chuāi(chuai1)

The verb 揣 (chuāi) primarily means to stow something in one's clothing, such as putting items in pockets. It can also refer to the act of estimating or guessing something, often used in contexts where one is trying to figure out a situation or a person's feelings based on limited information.

Strokes12Radical扌Frequency#14215DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Taiwan, the pronunciation chuai3 reflects a unique regional variation that highlights how pronunciation can change the meaning of words, showcasing the diversity within Mandarin as spoken in different areas.

Memory tip

Imagine a person 'stowing' a secret treasure in their coat pockets, trying to 'guess' how much it's worth. The character 揣 resembles a hand (扌) holding something, symbolizing the act of putting something away or estimating its value.

Meanings of 揣

chuāi(chuai1)
primary
1to stow in one's clothes; to estimate, to guess, to figure
2to put into (one's pockets, clothes)
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 揣

揣Simplified
12Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

Podcast: 揣

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Podcast: 揣

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AI study notes for 揣

Quick Contrast

估计 (gūjì) vs 揣 (chuāi): Use 估计 for formal estimation or calculation, while 揣 implies a more intuitive or informal guessing based on feelings or context.

Usage Notes

It's important to use 揣 in contexts where it clearly refers to physical stowing or a mental estimation. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar verbs like 放 (fàng - to place), which lacks the nuance of estimation. This term is more informal, so avoid it in formal writing.

HSK Study Tips

While not currently included in the HSK levels, understanding 揣 can help learners connect with other estimation-related verbs. Focus on using it alongside other verbs that express putting away or estimating, to create a richer vocabulary set.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 揣 with 估计 (gūjì), leading to incorrect phrases like '我揣天气' instead of '我估计天气'. The correct usage would be to use 揣 with physical items, not abstract concepts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 揣

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Etymology of 揣

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

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

Memory hint

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
+
Phonetic (sound)耑
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

揣 = 扌 + 耑. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 揣

IDS Structure⿰扌耑
揣Full character
=
扌shou3
left
耑duan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 揣?

How to say to stow in one's clothes; to estimate, to guess, to figure in Chinese

“to stow in one's clothes; to estimate, to guess, to figure” in Chinese is揣chuāi

The verb 揣 (chuāi) primarily means to stow something in one's clothing, such as putting items in pockets. It can also refer to the act of estimating or guessing something, often used in contexts where one is trying to figure out a situation or a person's feelings based on limited information.

When to use 揣

It's important to use 揣 in contexts where it clearly refers to physical stowing or a mental estimation. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar verbs like 放 (fàng - to place), which lacks the nuance of estimation. This term is more informal, so avoid it in formal writing.

揣 or something close to it

估计 (gūjì) vs 揣 (chuāi): Use 估计 for formal estimation or calculation, while 揣 implies a more intuitive or informal guessing based on feelings or context.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up 揣 with 估计 (gūjì), leading to incorrect phrases like '我揣天气' instead of '我估计天气'. The correct usage would be to use 揣 with physical items, not abstract concepts.

Write 揣

揣

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

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Grammar patterns of 揣

揣 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 4 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 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

在黑人社区里,人们的心中都____着一团怒火。

There is a smouldering anger in the black community.

Example sentences for 揣 (4)

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1
在黑人社区里,人们的心中都揣着一团怒火。

zài hēi rén shèqū lǐ, rénmen de xīnzhōng dōu chuāi zhe yī tuán nù huǒ。

There is a smouldering anger in the black community.
2
谁能够揣摩这些泪珠儿的含意呢?谁能够断定它们是苦是甜 呢 ?

shéi nénggòu chuǎimó zhèxiē lèi zhū ér de hán yì ne? shéi nénggòu duàndìng tāmen shì kǔ shì tián ne?

Who shall analyse those tears, and say whether they were sweet or bitter?
3
我敢不揣冒昧地说,她是不会从这种交往上有所收获的.

wǒ gǎn bù chuāi màomèi dì shuō, tā shì bù huì cóng zhè zhǒng jiāowǎng shàng yǒusuǒ shōuhuò de.

I will venture to say that she cannot gain by the acquaintance.
4
直升机虽然已经挎起来?毋恪两耶飞行员到担呀揣无.

zhíshēngjī suīrán yǐjīng kuà qǐlái? wú kè liǎng yē fēixíngyuán dào dān yā chuāi wú.

The wreckage has been recovered but the two pilots are still missing.

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Word Family of 揣

Words containing this character6
揣chuāiTaiwan pr. [chuǎi]
揣测chuǎicèto guess揣測
揣摩chuǎimóto analyze
揣度to estimate
揣想to conjecture
不揣冒昧to venture to
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 揣

What does 揣测 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 揣

You can say '我揣了手机在口袋里' (wǒ chuāi le shǒujī zài kǒudài lǐ) meaning 'I stowed my phone in my pocket.'

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