About
The character 扯 is a phono-semantic compound with the hand radical 扌 on the left, indicating its connection to manual actions, and the component 止 (“stop”) on the right, which provides its phonetic value. Its primary meaning refers to physically pulling, tearing, or ripping with the hands, such as tearing cloth or tugging a string. Metaphorically, it extended to describe casual talking, chatting, gossiping, or speaking aimlessly, as if pulling words out without direction. This shift shows how a concrete hand action broadened to encompass informal conversation.
Example Sentences Hide
你别扯我的头发。
他扯下了海报。
绳子被扯断了。
我们闲扯了一会儿。
别胡扯了，说正事。
这件事扯上了很多人。
你扯得太远，回不到主题了。
双方在谈判中互相扯皮。