擦 (cā) — to wipe, to rub (with a cloth or towel); to apply (lipstick, cream, lotion, etc.) by rubbing or patting
Definition
擦 (cā) means to wipe or rub with a cloth/towel (e.g. 擦桌子), and also to apply cosmetics or cream by rubbing — lighter, everyday strokes than the more written 涂.
verb
to wipeto rub (with a cloth or towel)to apply (lipstick, cream, lotion, etc.) by rubbing or patting
Examples
- 擦。Qǐng bǎ zhuō zi cā gān jìng.Please wipe the table clean.
- 擦。Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu cā kǒu hóng.She applies lipstick every morning.
- 擦。Tā qí chē cóng wǒ men shēn biān cā guò.He brushed past us on his bike.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
The left part 扌 is the hand, showing that 擦 is an action done with the hand, such as wiping or scrubbing; the right part 察 gives the sound.
Appears in
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