Phono-semantic compound:
手 (hand radical) – semantic, indicating a manual action.
式 (rule, pattern; phonetic) – phonetic element, providing the sound.
The character originally conveys the idea of using the hand to wipe or clean, extending to the broader sense of removing dirt, stains, or impurity.

Semantic range:
- to wipe (with cloth or hand);
- to clean or polish;
- figurative: to erase, to remove.

拭目 (식목) – “wipe the eyes,” to look afresh, to take notice

Characters

Words

Vocabulary

to receive, to bear, to undertake, to inherit, to continue, to succeed, to support, to carry

skill, ability, technique, craft, art, workmanship

to throw, to fling, to pitch

to brush off, to shake off, to dust, to wave away, repel

to expand, to open up, to broaden, to print, to make a rubbing, to engrave, to carve

to pull out, to extract, to uproot, to remove, to withdraw, to surpass, to excel

to seize, to detain, to arrest, to restrict, to restrain, to be bound by

to bow, to pay respects, to worship, to salute, to pray, to visit

to wipe, to clean, to wash away

to hold, to grasp, to carry, to maintain, to sustain, to persist

to point, to indicate, finger

to raise, to provoke, to stir up, to lift, to poke, to incite

to seize, to catch, to arrest, to capture

to give

to search, to look for, to probe, to explore

to connect, to join, to come into contact, to receive, to engage

to help, to assist, to aid

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Explore the meaning, etymology and usage of this Chinese character. Learn its radical and how it is applied in Korean language.

Chinese character

Explore 214 Chinese radicals and their derived characters. Sort by radical or stroke count, and view the complete list of official Hanja radicals.

Chinese characters (Hanja)

Chinese characters dictionary

拭

Etymology

Usage in Korean

Characters next to each other in the list

References