扣 (kòu) is a Chinese character meaning “to fasten or button up”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 口 (mouth), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to fasten; button”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 口
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字（扣，牽馬也。从手口聲）；现代字形拆分经笔画数核验（扌3 + 口3 = 6）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) pushes a button through a small opening (口) — that is 扣: fasten it shut.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 扣子kòu zibutton扣 = kòu
- 折扣zhé kòudiscount扣 = kòu
- 纽扣niǔ kòubutton (on clothing)扣 = kòu
Go deeper
All readings
to fasten; button
to fasten or button up; to buckle; a button; also to deduct an amount (from a price or from pay)
用纽扣或环把东西合拢、系住；也指纽扣，或从中减去的部分。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 扣子kòu zibutton扣 = kòu
- 折扣zhé kòudiscount扣 = kòu
- 纽扣niǔ kòubutton (on clothing)扣 = kòu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 扣 mean?
扣 (kòu) means to fasten or button up; to buckle; a button; also to deduct an amount (from a price or from pay).
How do you pronounce 扣?
It is pronounced kòu.
What parts is 扣 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 口 (mouth), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字（扣，牽馬也。从手口聲）；现代字形拆分经笔画数核验（扌3 + 口3 = 6）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 扣 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 扣?
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 扣?
Common ones are 扣子 and 折扣. The reading of 扣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.