揣 (chuǎi) is a Chinese character meaning “to estimate”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 耑 (sprouting tip (phonetic component duān)), side by side, and takes 12 strokes. It has a second reading, chuāi, which turns up in 怀揣 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to estimate; to guess”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 耑
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 揣，量也。从手耑聲。
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaches toward 耑 to feel it out and size it up — that is 揣: to weigh something up, to guess.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 揣测chuǎi cèto guess; to conjecture揣 = chuǎi
- 揣摩chuǎi móto try to figure out; to ponder揣 = chuǎi
Go deeper
All readings
to estimate; to guess
to estimate; to surmise; to try to figure out
估量，忖度；推测别人的心思或事情的情况。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 揣测chuǎi cèto guess; to conjecture揣 = chuǎi
- 揣摩chuǎi móto try to figure out; to ponder揣 = chuǎi
to tuck into one’s clothes
to hide or carry something tucked in one’s clothes
藏在穿着的衣服里。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 怀揣huái chuāito carry in one’s bosom; to cherish (a hope)揣 = chuāi
Rare readings, not taught: chuài
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 揣 mean?
揣 (chuǎi) means to estimate; to surmise; to try to figure out.
How do you pronounce 揣?
Its main reading is chuǎi. It also has a second reading, chuāi, which only shows up in certain words such as 怀揣 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 揣 sometimes pronounced chuāi?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 怀揣 it is read chuāi.
What parts is 揣 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 耑 (sprouting tip (phonetic component duān)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 揣，量也。从手耑聲。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 揣 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 揣?
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 揣?
Common ones are 揣测 and 揣摩. The reading of 揣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.