抛 (pāo) is a Chinese character meaning “to throw”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 九 (nine) and 力 (strength; power), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to throw; to toss”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 九 + 力
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（依 hanzi-writer-data 七笔笔顺核验：扌=第1–3笔，九=第4–5笔，力=第6–7笔，九的横折弯钩从下方托住力）
Memory aid
The hand (扌) puts all its strength (力) into one swing and sends the thing flying nine (九) fields away — you throw it.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 抛弃pāo qìto abandon; to discard; to cast aside抛 = pāo
- 抛球pāo qiúto throw a ball; to toss a ball抛 = pāo
Go deeper
All readings
to throw; to toss
to throw; to toss; to fling; to cast aside
用力把东西扔出去；也指丢下、不要。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 抛弃pāo qìto abandon; to discard; to cast aside抛 = pāo
- 抛球pāo qiúto throw a ball; to toss a ball抛 = pāo
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 抛 mean?
抛 (pāo) means to throw; to toss; to fling; to cast aside.
How do you pronounce 抛?
It is pronounced pāo.
What parts is 抛 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 九 (nine) and 力 (strength; power), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（依 hanzi-writer-data 七笔笔顺核验：扌=第1–3笔，九=第4–5笔，力=第6–7笔，九的横折弯钩从下方托住力）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 抛 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 抛?
扌. 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 抛?
Common ones are 抛弃 and 抛球. The reading of 抛 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.