擦 Stroke Order — How to Write 擦
擦 is written in 17 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 扌, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
擦 Radical and Character Components
擦 is a phono-semantic compound: 扌 (hand) carries the meaning, while 察 indicates the sound.
Radical: 扌 + 14 more strokes
擦 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- cā
Meanings of 擦 in Chinese
1
cā擦
To wipe, rub, or clean a surface with a cloth or similar object.
她习惯每天早上用湿毛巾擦脸。
She is used to wiping her face with a wet towel every morning.
to apply or smear (e.g., powder, oil, cream) on a surface
她每天出门前都会在脸上擦一点防晒霜。
She applies a little sunscreen to her face every day before going out.
To rub, wipe, or scrub.
周末，我帮妈妈擦了擦窗户。
On the weekend, I helped Mom wipe the windows.
To come close to; to graze; to be on the verge of (as in approaching nightfall or being on the edge of a boundary).
我们擦黑的时候才到家。
We only arrived home at dusk.
Common Words and Phrases with 擦
1
to scrub one's back (when bathing)
每次去澡堂，我都会请师傅帮我擦背
Every time I go to the public bathhouse, I ask the attendant to help me scrub my back.
2
at dusk; toward evening
我们擦黑儿才从山上下来，累得不行
We didn't come down from the mountain until dusk, we were exhausted.
3
to polish; to rub something to make it shiny and smooth
她用柔软的布轻轻擦亮了旧木家具，使其焕发出温暖的光泽。
She gently polished the old wooden furniture with a soft cloth, making it glow with a warm luster.
4
To sharpen one's vigilance; to stay alert and not be deceived.
在购物时，一定要擦亮眼睛，以免买到假冒伪劣产品。
When shopping, you must keep your eyes peeled to avoid buying counterfeit or shoddy products.
5
To clean up a messy situation or fix problems caused by others.
他总是把事情搞砸，最后还得我们给他擦屁股。
He always messes things up, and in the end, we have to clean up after him.
6
To rub one's body vigorously (e.g., with a towel in a bath); also, a massage, especially after sports, to improve circulation and relieve fatigue.
每次洗澡后，他都会用柔软的毛巾仔细地擦身，确保皮肤干净清爽
After every bath, he carefully rubs his body with a soft towel, ensuring his skin is clean and refreshed.
7
To wipe something clean, usually by moving a cloth or other material back and forth.
她用湿布擦拭桌子，让它变得光洁如新
She wiped the table with a wet cloth, making it sparkling clean.
8
To clean something thoroughly by rubbing it vigorously, especially to remove dirt or stains.
她用刷子擦洗厨房的地板，使其变得一尘不染。
She scrubbed the kitchen floor with a brush, making it spotless.
9
A consonant sound (fricative) produced by forcing air through a narrow opening, creating friction or a turbulent sound.
在学习发音时，我们注意到“s”和“f”都是常见的擦音。
When learning pronunciation, we notice that “s” and “f” are both common fricatives.
10
To rub oneself down with a wet towel; to take a sponge bath.
因为没有淋浴设施，他每天只能擦澡保持清洁。
Since there were no shower facilities, he could only sponge himself down daily to stay clean.
More words with 擦
- mó摩cā擦Friction, Rubbing
- mó磨cā擦rub, friction
- mó摩cā擦lì力friction
- sāi塞cā擦yīn音affricate
- āi挨cā擦to be rubbed against, to brush against
- jiàn箭cā擦Arrow graze, Grazing shot
- bǎn板cā擦ér儿blackboard eraser
- cā擦diào掉erase, wipe off
- cā擦qù去wipe off, erase
- cā擦hēi黑At dusk, As evening falls
- cā擦shāng伤scrape, graze
- cā擦de得can be wiped, wiped well
- cā擦gān干jìng净wipe clean, clean up
- xiǎo小mó摩cā擦Minor disagreement, Squabble
- cā擦le了cā擦wiped, rubbed
- cā擦shì拭gān干jìng净Wipe clean, Clean up
- cā擦yi一cā擦Give it a wipe, Give it a rub
- kàng抗guā刮cā擦scratch-resistant, anti-scratch
- mó摩cā擦hòu后after friction, post-friction
- cā擦dé得zèng锃liàng亮polished to a shine, sparkling clean
Idioms with 擦
- cā擦jiān肩ér而guò过to narrowly miss an opportunity
- cā擦quán拳mó磨zhǎng掌eager to fight or act
- cā擦zhī脂mǒ抹fěn粉apply makeup or adorn oneself
- āi挨jiān肩cā擦bèi背jostling in a crowded place
- mó摩quán拳cā擦zhǎng掌eager to start a task or fight
- mó磨dāo刀cā擦qiāng枪prepare for battle
- mó磨quán拳cā擦zhǎng掌eager for a fight or action
- cā擦biān边qiú球a close call
- cā擦quán拳mò抹zhǎng掌eager for a fight or work
- cā擦zhǎng掌mó磨quán拳eagerly ready for action
- kū哭yǎn眼cā擦lèi泪to weep and rub one's eyes repeatedly
- mó摩jiān肩cā擦bèi背extremely crowded with people
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Open the tool →Questions about 擦
What does 擦 mean in Chinese?
擦 (cā) means “To wipe” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 擦?
擦 is pronounced cā in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 擦 have?
擦 has 17 strokes.
How do you write 擦?
擦 is written in 17 strokes, starting from the radical 扌. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 擦?
The radical of 擦 is 扌, and 擦 is a phono-semantic compound.
