挝

撾
wō, zhuā
扌 + 过
Frequency#3710

Definitions

wō used 老撾|老挝[lǎo wō]
zhuā ancient weapon with a tip shaped like a hand or claw; old variant of 抓[zhuā]; to strike; to beat

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 过 represents the sound. Simplified form of 撾.

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 过

About

The character "挝" originates from its traditional form "撾", structured with the hand radical 扌 and the component 過, which initially indicated actions like beating or striking, linking the semantic hand radical to manual activity and using 過 for phonetic value. Over centuries, its primary meaning as a verb for hitting expanded through phonetic borrowing to become part of the term "老挝", denoting Laos, a shift that led to the simplified form "挝" where 過 is replaced by 过 while retaining the hand radical, thus altering its function from a descriptive verb to a fixed syllable in a geographic name.

Example Sentences Hide

老挝在东南亚。

Lǎowō zài Dōngnán Yà.

Laos is in Southeast Asia.

我去过老挝旅游。

Wǒ qùguò Lǎowō lǚyóu.

I have traveled to Laos.

他学习挝鼓技艺。

Tā xuéxí zhuāgǔ jìyì.

He learns drum beating skills.

在老挝，挝鼓是传统艺术。

Zài Lǎowō, zhuāgǔ shì chuántǒng yìshù.

In Laos, drum beating is a traditional art.

节日时，人们欢快地挝鼓。

Jiérì shí, rénmen huānkuài de zhuāgǔ.

During festivals, people beat drums cheerfully.

我们观看了精彩的挝鼓表演。

Wǒmen guānkànle jīngcǎi de zhuāgǔ biǎoyǎn.

We watched a wonderful drum beating performance.

老挝的挝鼓文化历史悠久。

Lǎowō de zhuāgǔ wénhuà lìshǐ yōujiǔ.

Laos' drum beating culture has a long history.

为了传承文化，他们教孩子挝鼓。

Wèile chuánchéng wénhuà, tāmen jiāo háizi zhuāgǔ.

To pass on the culture, they teach children to beat drums.

Related Characters

Component: 扌

把 提 打 报 接 指 据 拉 持 技 找 推 投 护

Example Words

老挝