挠 (náo) is a Chinese character meaning “to scratch (an itch)”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 尧 (Yao (legendary sage emperor); lofty, towering), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to scratch; to obstruct”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 尧
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分 IDS ⿰扌尧，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：扌 3 画 + 尧 6 画 = 9 画，笔画 0–2 为提手旁
Memory aid
The hand radical (扌) tells you this is something you do with your fingers; 尧 on the right is only lending its sound. A hand that reaches in — to scratch an itch, or to get in someone's way.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 阻挠zǔ náoto obstruct; to thwart挠 = náo
- 不屈不挠bù qū bù náounyielding; indomitable挠 = náo
Go deeper
All readings
to scratch
to scratch (an itch); to hinder, to obstruct; to yield, to give in
用手指抓；搅扰、阻碍；弯曲、屈服。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 阻挠zǔ náoto obstruct; to thwart挠 = náo
- 不屈不挠bù qū bù náounyielding; indomitable挠 = náo
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 挠 mean?
挠 (náo) means to scratch (an itch); to hinder, to obstruct; to yield, to give in.
How do you pronounce 挠?
It is pronounced náo.
What parts is 挠 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 尧 (Yao (legendary sage emperor); lofty, towering), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分 IDS ⿰扌尧，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：扌 3 画 + 尧 6 画 = 9 画，笔画 0–2 为提手旁. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 挠 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 挠?
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 挠?
Common ones are 阻挠 and 不屈不挠. The reading of 挠 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.