揽 (lǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “to embrace”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 览 (to look over; to view), side by side, and takes 12 strokes.
Build the character for “to take hold of; to take on”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 览
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字（擥，撮持也。从手監聲）；现代简化字形 ⿰扌览 经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（0-2 扌，3-11 览）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaching for everything it can view (览) — 揽 is taking hold of it all and pulling it in.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 包揽bāo lǎnto take on everything; to monopolize; to sweep (all the prizes)揽 = lǎn
- 招揽zhāo lǎnto solicit; to attract (customers or business)揽 = lǎn
Go deeper
All readings
to take hold of; to take on
to embrace; to take hold of; to take on (a task) or take over; to attract (business)
搂抱、拉到自己这边来；把事情或权力拿到自己手里。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 包揽bāo lǎnto take on everything; to monopolize; to sweep (all the prizes)揽 = lǎn
- 招揽zhāo lǎnto solicit; to attract (customers or business)揽 = lǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 揽 mean?
揽 (lǎn) means to embrace; to take hold of; to take on (a task) or take over; to attract (business).
How do you pronounce 揽?
It is pronounced lǎn.
What parts is 揽 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 览 (to look over; to view), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字（擥，撮持也。从手監聲）；现代简化字形 ⿰扌览 经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（0-2 扌，3-11 览）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 揽 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 揽?
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 揽?
Common ones are 包揽 and 招揽. The reading of 揽 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.