拘 (jū) is a Chinese character meaning “to restrain”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 句 (sentence; phrase), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to restrain; to detain”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 句
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：拘，止也。从句从手，句亦聲（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–3 为 扌，笔画 4–8 与 句 逐笔对应）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) clamps down on a sentence (句) and won't let it finish — that is what 拘 does: it holds something back.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 拘束jū shùconstrained; ill at ease; to restrict拘 = jū
- 拘留jū liúto detain (in police custody)拘 = jū
Go deeper
All readings
to restrain; to detain
to restrain; to restrict; to detain; constrained; inflexible
逮捕、扣押；限制、约束；也指拘泥、不知变通。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 拘束jū shùconstrained; ill at ease; to restrict拘 = jū
- 拘留jū liúto detain (in police custody)拘 = jū
Sound component
句 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 拘 mean?
拘 (jū) means to restrain; to restrict; to detain; constrained; inflexible.
How do you pronounce 拘?
It is pronounced jū.
What parts is 拘 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 句 (sentence; phrase), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：拘，止也。从句从手，句亦聲（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–3 为 扌，笔画 4–8 与 句 逐笔对应）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 拘 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 拘?
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 拘?
Common ones are 拘束 and 拘留. The reading of 拘 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.