捻 (niǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “to twist or roll between the fingers”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 念 (to think of; to read aloud), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to twist (between the fingers)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 念
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS ⿰扌念（现代字形拆分，已与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核对：0–2 扌，3–10 念）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) rolling a thread between its fingers while you think of (念) something — twisting it round and round. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 捻线niǎn xiànto twist thread; to spin yarn by hand捻 = niǎn
- 捻子niǎn zia twisted strip (of paper or cloth); a wick or fuse捻 = niǎn
Go deeper
All readings
to twist (between the fingers)
to twist or roll between the fingers; a twisted strand (of paper, thread, etc.)
用手指搓转；用纸、线等搓成的条状物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 捻线niǎn xiànto twist thread; to spin yarn by hand捻 = niǎn
- 捻子niǎn zia twisted strip (of paper or cloth); a wick or fuse捻 = niǎn
Sound component
念 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 捻 mean?
捻 (niǎn) means to twist or roll between the fingers; a twisted strand (of paper, thread, etc.).
How do you pronounce 捻?
It is pronounced niǎn.
What parts is 捻 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 念 (to think of; to read aloud), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS ⿰扌念（现代字形拆分，已与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核对：0–2 扌，3–10 念）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 捻 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 捻?
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 捻?
Common ones are 捻线 and 捻子. The reading of 捻 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.