挪 (nuó) is a Chinese character meaning “to move or shift something (usually a short distance)”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 那 (that; those), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to move; to shift”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 那
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS (现代字形拆分，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验)
Memory aid
A hand (扌) pushes that (那) chair a little to the side — 挪 is shifting something over by hand.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 挪动nuó dòngto move; to shift (something) a short distance挪 = nuó
- 挪用nuó yòngto divert (funds) to another use; to misappropriate挪 = nuó
Go deeper
All readings
to move; to shift
to move or shift something (usually a short distance); to transfer, to divert
移动位置；把东西或款项转作别用。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 挪动nuó dòngto move; to shift (something) a short distance挪 = nuó
- 挪用nuó yòngto divert (funds) to another use; to misappropriate挪 = nuó
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 挪 mean?
挪 (nuó) means to move or shift something (usually a short distance); to transfer, to divert.
How do you pronounce 挪?
It is pronounced nuó.
What parts is 挪 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 那 (that; those), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS (现代字形拆分，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 挪 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 挪?
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 挪?
Common ones are 挪动 and 挪用. The reading of 挪 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.