拐 (guǎi) is a Chinese character meaning “to turn (a corner)”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 另 (another; separate), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to turn a corner”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 另
Left–right structure
Structure from: modern-glyph-decomposition (IDS ⿰扌另, 与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验一致 3+5=8)
Memory aid
A hand (扌) waves you down another (另) road — so you turn. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 拐弯guǎi wānto turn a corner; to make a turn拐 = guǎi
- 拐杖guǎi zhàngwalking stick; cane拐 = guǎi
- 拄拐zhǔ guǎito walk with a cane; to lean on a crutch拐 = guǎispoken aszhú guǎi
Go deeper
All readings
to turn
to turn (a corner); to change direction; to limp; a walking stick
转变行走的方向；也指走路一瘸一拐，或拄着走路的棍子。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 拐弯guǎi wānto turn a corner; to make a turn拐 = guǎi
- 拐杖guǎi zhàngwalking stick; cane拐 = guǎi
- 拄拐zhǔ guǎito walk with a cane; to lean on a crutch拐 = guǎispoken aszhú guǎi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 拐 mean?
拐 (guǎi) means to turn (a corner); to change direction; to limp; a walking stick.
How do you pronounce 拐?
It is pronounced guǎi.
What parts is 拐 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 另 (another; separate), side by side. The recorded source is: modern-glyph-decomposition (IDS ⿰扌另, 与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验一致 3+5=8). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 拐 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 拐?
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 拐?
Common ones are 拐弯 and 拐杖. The reading of 拐 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.