About
The character 揸 (zhā) follows a phono-semantic structure, joining the semantic radical 扌, a side form of 手 (shǒu, "hand") that marks actions done with the hand, with the phonetic component 查 (zhā), which supplies its pronunciation. The primary meanings all involve manual manipulation: spreading the fingers wide, grasping tightly, or clutching an object. It is especially common in regional dialects like Cantonese, where it denotes holding or driving a vehicle, reflecting the hand radical's connection to physical verbs.
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