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抻 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
抻chēnto pullv, 8 strokes, radical 扌, rank #33323, Very Hard
抻chēnto stretchunknown, 8 strokes, radical 扌, rank #33323, Very Hard
抻chēnto draw sth outunknown, 8 strokes, radical 扌, rank #33323, Very Hard
chēn(chen1) T1
  1. 1to pull
  2. 2to stretch
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March 24, 2026

抻chēn(chen1)

The character 抻 (chēn) means 'to pull', 'to stretch', or 'to draw something out'. It is commonly used in contexts involving physical actions, such as pulling a rope or stretching dough. The verb conveys an action that involves extension or elongation.

Strokes8Radical扌Frequency#33323DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese cuisine, the method of 抻 dough is essential for making hand-pulled noodles, highlighting the importance of stretching in culinary practices. This reflects a hands-on cultural appreciation for food preparation.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person stretching a rubber band as far as it can go. The character 抻 has the radical 扌 (hand) indicating an action done with hands, and the phonetic component 申 (shēn) which can remind you of 'stretching out'. Visualize pulling the rubber band with both hands to remember 抻.

Meanings of 抻

chēn(chen1)
1to pull
2to stretch
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 抻

抻Simplified
8Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 抻

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Podcast: 抻

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AI Study Notes for 抻

Quick Contrast

拉 (lā) vs 扯 (chě) — use 抻 (chēn) when emphasizing the act of stretching or drawing out something gradually, rather than just pulling or tearing.

Usage Notes

Be cautious of using 抻 in formal contexts, as it is more common in informal speech. A common mistake is confusing 抻 with 拉 (lā), which also means 'to pull', but is used more broadly. The collocation 抻开 (chēn kāi) means 'to stretch open' and is frequently used.

HSK Study Tips

While 抻 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it is helpful for intermediate learners to understand physical actions. This word connects with other action verbs, so learners should focus on similar verbs like 拉 (lā) and 推 (tuī) to expand their vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 抻 with 拉, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我拉面团' (Wǒ lā miàntuán) instead of '我抻面团' (Wǒ chēn miàntuán) when specifically referring to stretching dough is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 抻

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Etymology of 抻

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

hand

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

Origin

抻 = 扌 + 申. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 抻

IDS Structure⿰扌申
抻Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
申Shen1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 抻?

How to say to pull in Chinese

“to pull” in Chinese is抻chēn

The character 抻 (chēn) means 'to pull', 'to stretch', or 'to draw something out'. It is commonly used in contexts involving physical actions, such as pulling a rope or stretching dough. The verb conveys an action that involves extension or elongation.

When to use 抻

Be cautious of using 抻 in formal contexts, as it is more common in informal speech. A common mistake is confusing 抻 with 拉 (lā), which also means 'to pull', but is used more broadly. The collocation 抻开 (chēn kāi) means 'to stretch open' and is frequently used.

抻 or something close to it

拉 (lā) vs 扯 (chě) — use 抻 (chēn) when emphasizing the act of stretching or drawing out something gradually, rather than just pulling or tearing.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 抻 with 拉, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我拉面团' (Wǒ lā miàntuán) instead of '我抻面团' (Wǒ chēn miàntuán) when specifically referring to stretching dough is incorrect.

Write 抻

抻

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

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Word Family of 抻

Words Containing This Character2
抻chēnto pull
抻面hand-pulled noodles抻麵
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 抻

What does 抻面 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 抻

You can say '我在抻面团' (Wǒ zài chēn miàntuán) which means 'I am stretching the dough'.

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