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摟 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
摟lǒuto embrace, to hug; to drag, to pullzg, 14 strokes, radical 扌
lǒu(lou3) T3
  1. 1to embrace, to hug; to drag, to pull
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

摟lǒu(lou3)

The character 摟 (lǒu) means to embrace or hug, conveying a sense of affection or warmth. It can also imply the action of dragging or pulling something closer, often used in contexts where physical closeness or connection is involved.

Strokes14Radical扌
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, embracing is often less common in public compared to Western cultures, but it signifies strong emotional connections in family and close friendships. 摟 captures the essence of warmth in relationships, especially in familial settings.

Memory Tip

Imagine two friends hugging tightly, their arms wrapped around each other, forming a loop (the 'l' in lǒu). The character 摟 has the component 手 (shǒu), which means hand, indicating the action of using hands for hugging or embracing.

Meanings of 摟

lǒu(lou3)
1to embrace, to hug; to drag, to pull
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 摟

摟Simplified
14Strokes
扌Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 摟

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Podcast: 摟

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 摟

Quick Contrast

抱 (bào) - use 摟 (lǒu) when emphasizing a gentle embrace or holding closely, while 抱 (bào) focuses more on the act of holding or carrying, often with more force.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is to confuse 摟 with other similar characters like 拎 (līn), which means to carry. It's important to use 摟 when referring specifically to hugging or embracing, often in informal contexts. Pay attention to the tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

While 摟 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to other HSK words involving actions and emotions, like 抱 (bào, to hug). Focus on practicing it in sentences that involve both physical actions and emotional contexts, enhancing your understanding of its use.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 摟 to describe carrying something, while the correct character for that is 拎 (līn). Remember that 摟 specifically relates to hugging or embracing.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 摟

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Etymology of 摟

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

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 娄 represents the sound. Simplified form of 摟.

Memory Hint

hand

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 摟

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 娄 represents the sound. Simplified form of 摟.

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half婁 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 摟? 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 摟?

Decomposition of 摟

IDS Structure⿰扌婁
摟Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
婁lou2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 摟?

How to say to embrace, to hug; to drag, to pull in Chinese

“to embrace, to hug; to drag, to pull” in Chinese is摟lǒu

The character 摟 (lǒu) means to embrace or hug, conveying a sense of affection or warmth. It can also imply the action of dragging or pulling something closer, often used in contexts where physical closeness or connection is involved.

When to use 摟

A common mistake is to confuse 摟 with other similar characters like 拎 (līn), which means to carry. It's important to use 摟 when referring specifically to hugging or embracing, often in informal contexts. Pay attention to the tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

摟 or something close to it

抱 (bào) - use 摟 (lǒu) when emphasizing a gentle embrace or holding closely, while 抱 (bào) focuses more on the act of holding or carrying, often with more force.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 摟 to describe carrying something, while the correct character for that is 拎 (līn). Remember that 摟 specifically relates to hugging or embracing.

Write 摟

摟

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 摟

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

Unlike in many Western cultures where hugging is a common greeting, in Chinese culture, physical displays of affection like 摟 are often reserved for close relationships and family.

Word Family of 摟

Words Containing This Character3
搂lǒuto hug摟
搂抱to hug摟抱
抖搂to shake out抖摟
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 搂 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 摟

You can say '我想要摟你' (Wǒ xiǎng yào lǒu nǐ), meaning 'I want to hug you.'

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