Chinese word

挠

Pronunciation

Pinyinnáo

Meaning

  • verbscratch

Example

我的背很痒，帮我挠一下。wǒ de bèi hěn yǎng bāng wǒ náo yí xià

My back itches a lot. Help me scratch it a little.

Illustration for 挠 (scratch)

More examples

被蚊子叮后，他不停地用手挠胳膊。bèi wén zi dīng hòu tā bù tíng dì yòng shǒu náo gē bó

After being bitten by a mosquito, he kept scratching his arm.

Core concept

Fingers or claws drag across a surface, easing an itch or leaving a mark.

Common phrases

  • 挠头náo tóu

    scratch one's head

  • 挠鼻子náo bí zi

    scratch one's nose

  • 挠背náo bèi

    scratch one's back

Similar words

抓zhuā: Grasping something with the hand or fingers, or scratching skin or another surface with them.
搔sāo: Scratching an itchy area with a finger or fingernail to ease the itch.
擦cā: Rubbing a surface with the hand or a cloth to remove dirt.

Definition in Chinese

用手或指甲在皮肤或物体表面搔抓，以解除瘙痒或使表面留下划痕的动作。yòng shǒu huò zhí jiǎ zài pí fū huò wù tǐ biǎo miàn sāo zhuā yǐ jiě chú sào yǎng huò shǐ biǎo miàn liú xià huà hén de dòng zuò

Word origin

The character is built with the hand radical and a sound element, linking its written form to an action performed by hand.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may choose different verbs for easing an itch and marking a surface, but this Chinese verb covers both actions, so context shows the result.

Other meanings

  • clawverb

Related words

  • 抓挠zhuā náoscratchverb
  • 挠痕náo hénscratch marknoun

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