拉 (lā) is a Chinese character meaning “to pull”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 立 (to stand; upright), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to pull”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 立
Left–right structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（⿰扌立），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：左「扌」3 画 + 右「立」5 画 = 8 画；「扌」为手部，与手的动作相关，「立 lì」与「拉 lā」声母同为 l，判为声符。只描述今形构成，不追溯上古来源。
Memory aid
A hand (扌) takes hold of something standing (立) and drags it toward you — that is 拉, to pull.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 拉开lā kāito pull open; to pull apart拉 = lā
- 手拉手shǒu lā shǒuhand in hand拉 = lā
- 伊拉克yī lā kèIraq拉 = lā
- 阿拉伯ā lā bóArab; Arabic; Arabia拉 = lā
- 拉屎lā shǐto poop; to defecate (colloquial)拉 = lā
- 拉拽lā zhuàito pull; to tug at拉 = lā
Go deeper
All readings
to pull
to pull; to drag; to draw (something toward you); also to play a bowed string instrument, as in 拉小提琴
用力使物体朝自己的方向移动；牵、扯。也指演奏弦乐器，如「拉小提琴」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 拉开lā kāito pull open; to pull apart拉 = lā
- 手拉手shǒu lā shǒuhand in hand拉 = lā
- 伊拉克yī lā kèIraq拉 = lā
- 阿拉伯ā lā bóArab; Arabic; Arabia拉 = lā
- 拉屎lā shǐto poop; to defecate (colloquial)拉 = lā
- 拉拽lā zhuàito pull; to tug at拉 = lā
Sound component
立 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 拉 mean?
拉 (lā) means to pull; to drag; to draw (something toward you); also to play a bowed string instrument, as in 拉小提琴.
How do you pronounce 拉?
It is pronounced lā.
What parts is 拉 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 立 (to stand; upright), side by side. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（⿰扌立），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：左「扌」3 画 + 右「立」5 画 = 8 画；「扌」为手部，与手的动作相关，「立 lì」与「拉 lā」声母同为 l，判为声符。只描述今形构成，不追溯上古来源。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 拉 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 拉?
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 拉?
Common ones are 拉开 and 手拉手. The reading of 拉 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.