Definitions
(verb)
to drag; to tow
(verb)
to delay; to drag on
(verb)
to mop (the floor)
Etymology phono-semantic
hand
Semantic:
扌
About
The character 拖, meaning to drag or pull, is structurally composed of the hand radical 扌 on the left, denoting manual action, and the component 它 on the right, which historically served as a phonetic indicator while possibly carrying associative meanings. Its earliest usages centered on the concrete action of pulling or trailing objects along a surface, but through semantic extension, it gradually came to embody abstract concepts such as postponement or protracted action, evident in terms like 拖延 (to delay). The traditional form 拕, which shares the same fundamental construction, underscores this etymological consistency, with both variants maintaining the conceptual link between hand movements and the act of dragging, even as the character's applications widened over time.
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈在拖地板。
他经常拖延时间。
不要拖拉，快点做作业。
这辆车需要拖走。
他拖累整个团队。
她拖着沉重的行李箱。
拖延症会影响工作效率。
经济危机拖慢了发展速度。