Chinese word

捏

Pronunciation

Pinyinniē

Meaning

  • verbpinch

Example

别捏孩子的胳膊，会疼的。bié niē hái zi de gē bó huì téng de

Don't pinch the child's arm, or it will hurt.

Illustration for 捏 (pinch)

More examples

妈妈在桌上捏面团，准备做包子。mā mā zài zhuō shàng niē miàn tuán zhǔn bèi zuò bāo zi

Mom is kneading dough on the table, preparing to make steamed buns.

Core concept

Thumb and finger apply focused pressure that changes a small part or gives pliable material a shape.

Common phrases

  • 捏脸颊niē liǎn jiá

    pinch cheeks

  • 捏面团niē miàn tuán

    knead dough

  • 捏成丸子niē chéng wán zi

    form into balls

Similar words

按àn: Pressing down on a surface or holding something in place with a hand or finger.
掐qiā: Gripping a small area of skin or another object tightly between the fingers.
揉róu: Rubbing and pressing with the hands or fingers to soften, loosen, or shape something.
挤jǐ: Squeezing something from both sides to compress it or force out its contents.

Definition in Chinese

用手指捏、夹或压，使皮肤或物体局部受力或变形，常指用拇指和食指夹住并略用力以致疼痛，也可指揉搓成形的动作。yòng shóu zhǐ niē jiā huò yā shǐ pí fū huò wù tǐ jú bù shòu lì huò biàn xíng cháng zhǐ yòng mú zhǐ hé shí zhǐ jiā zhù bìng lüè yòng lì yǐ zhì téng tòng yě kě zhǐ róu cuō chéng xíng de dòng zuò

Word origin

The character 捏 (niē, "pinch") is built from 扌 (shǒu, "hand") and 聂 (niè, "phonetic element"), a compact reminder that the word describes purposeful work done with the fingers.

Usage tips

  • Chinese uses 捏 (niē, "pinch") for shaping soft materials such as dough or clay, so the verb appears in cooking and craft contexts as well as physical contact.

Other meanings

  • kneadverb

Opposites

  • 放开fàng kāireleaseverb

Related words

  • 捏造niē zàomake upverb
  • 捏造者niē zào zhěfabricatornoun

Word lists with this word