搂 (lǒu) is a Chinese character meaning “to hug”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 娄 (lóu (sound component; 米 over 女)), side by side, and takes 12 strokes.
Build the character for “to hug”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 娄
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（扌3 + 娄9 = 12 笔）；右侧 娄 的表音身份由读音对照得出（娄 lóu / 搂 lǒu，声母韵母相同，仅声调不同）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaches out and pulls 娄 close — to 搂 is to wrap your arm around someone. 娄 also hints at the sound: lóu → lǒu.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 搂抱lǒu bàoto hug; to embrace搂 = lǒu
- 搂住lǒu zhùto hold tight in one’s arms搂 = lǒu
Go deeper
All readings
to hug; to hold in one’s arms
to hug; to embrace; to hold in one’s arms
用手臂围住、抱住。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 搂抱lǒu bàoto hug; to embrace搂 = lǒu
- 搂住lǒu zhùto hold tight in one’s arms搂 = lǒu
Rare readings, not taught: lōu
Sound component
娄 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 搂 mean?
搂 (lǒu) means to hug; to embrace; to hold in one’s arms.
How do you pronounce 搂?
It is pronounced lǒu.
What parts is 搂 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 娄 (lóu (sound component; 米 over 女)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（扌3 + 娄9 = 12 笔）；右侧 娄 的表音身份由读音对照得出（娄 lóu / 搂 lǒu，声母韵母相同，仅声调不同）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 搂 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 搂?
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 搂?
Common ones are 搂抱 and 搂住. The reading of 搂 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.