挟 (xié) is a Chinese character meaning “to hold or clamp something under the arm”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 夹 (to clamp; to press something between), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to hold under the arm; to coerce”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 夹
Left–right structure
Structure from: Unicode U+631F 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形笔画核验：挟 9 笔中第 1-3 笔与「扌」三笔逐笔对应，第 4-9 笔与「夹」六笔逐笔对应
Memory aid
A hand (扌) clamps (夹) something tight against your side — that is 挟: to hold it under your arm, and by extension to hold a person under your control.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 挟持xié chíto hold hostage; to seize and control by force挟 = xié
- 挟制xié zhìto keep someone under control by exploiting their weakness挟 = xié
Go deeper
All readings
to hold under the arm; to coerce
to hold or clamp something under the arm; to hold someone under control by force or threat; to harbour (a grudge)
用胳膊夹住；用强力或威胁控制别人；心里怀着（怨恨等）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 挟持xié chíto hold hostage; to seize and control by force挟 = xié
- 挟制xié zhìto keep someone under control by exploiting their weakness挟 = xié
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 挟 mean?
挟 (xié) means to hold or clamp something under the arm; to hold someone under control by force or threat; to harbour (a grudge).
How do you pronounce 挟?
It is pronounced xié.
What parts is 挟 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 夹 (to clamp; to press something between), side by side. The recorded source is: Unicode U+631F 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形笔画核验：挟 9 笔中第 1-3 笔与「扌」三笔逐笔对应，第 4-9 笔与「夹」六笔逐笔对应. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 挟 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 挟?
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 挟?
Common ones are 挟持 and 挟制. The reading of 挟 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.