拄 (zhǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “to lean on”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 主 (master; owner; host), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to lean on a cane”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 主
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰扌主；笔画核验 扌3 + 主5 = 8，依据 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) grips the staff of the master (主) and pushes down on it — that is what it means to prop yourself up on a cane.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 拄拐zhǔ guǎito walk with a cane; to lean on a crutch拄 = zhǔspoken aszhú guǎi
- 拄杖zhǔ zhàngto lean on a staff; a walking staff拄 = zhǔ
Go deeper
All readings
to lean on (a stick)
to lean on; to prop oneself up with (a cane or staff); to support with a stick
用棍子、拐杖等支撑住身体。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 拄拐zhǔ guǎito walk with a cane; to lean on a crutch拄 = zhǔspoken aszhú guǎi
- 拄杖zhǔ zhàngto lean on a staff; a walking staff拄 = zhǔ
Sound component
主 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 拄 mean?
拄 (zhǔ) means to lean on; to prop oneself up with (a cane or staff); to support with a stick.
How do you pronounce 拄?
It is pronounced zhǔ.
What parts is 拄 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 主 (master; owner; host), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰扌主；笔画核验 扌3 + 主5 = 8，依据 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 拄 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 拄?
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 拄?
Common ones are 拄拐 and 拄杖. The reading of 拄 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.