揪 (jiū) is a Chinese character meaning “to grab and hold tightly”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 秋 (autumn), side by side, and takes 12 strokes.
Build the character for “to grab; to seize”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 秋
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（扌3画 + 秋9画 = 12画）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaches out in autumn (秋) and grabs the last leaf before it falls — it grips tight.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 揪住jiū zhùto grab hold of; to seize firmly揪 = jiū
- 揪心jiū xīnworried; anxious; heart-wrenching揪 = jiū
Go deeper
All readings
to grab; to seize
to grab and hold tightly; to seize; to pull by gripping
紧紧抓住；抓住并拉扯。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 揪住jiū zhùto grab hold of; to seize firmly揪 = jiū
- 揪心jiū xīnworried; anxious; heart-wrenching揪 = jiū
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 揪 mean?
揪 (jiū) means to grab and hold tightly; to seize; to pull by gripping.
How do you pronounce 揪?
It is pronounced jiū.
What parts is 揪 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 秋 (autumn), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（扌3画 + 秋9画 = 12画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 揪 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 揪?
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 揪?
Common ones are 揪住 and 揪心. The reading of 揪 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.