扼 (è) is a Chinese character meaning “to grip tightly”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 厄 (hardship; adversity; a strait one is caught in), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to grip; to hold fast”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 厄
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（笔顺数据核验：扌 3 画 + 厄 4 画 = 扼 7 画；厄 è 与 扼 è 读音一致）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) closing on something already caught in a tight spot (厄). That is what 扼 does — it grips, and it does not let go.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 扼要è yàoconcise; to the point扼 = è
- 扼杀è shāto strangle; to stifle; to smother扼 = è
- 扼守è shǒuto guard a strategic point; to hold (a pass)扼 = è
Go deeper
All readings
to grip; to hold fast
to grip tightly; to clutch; to hold fast to a strategic point
用力抓住、掐住；也指把守要冲。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 扼要è yàoconcise; to the point扼 = è
- 扼杀è shāto strangle; to stifle; to smother扼 = è
- 扼守è shǒuto guard a strategic point; to hold (a pass)扼 = è
Sound component
厄 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 扼 mean?
扼 (è) means to grip tightly; to clutch; to hold fast to a strategic point.
How do you pronounce 扼?
It is pronounced è.
What parts is 扼 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 厄 (hardship; adversity; a strait one is caught in), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（笔顺数据核验：扌 3 画 + 厄 4 画 = 扼 7 画；厄 è 与 扼 è 读音一致）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 扼 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 扼?
手. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 扼?
Common ones are 扼要, 扼杀, 扼守. The reading of 扼 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.