Chinese Character: 刮
1. Character Basics
Radical: 刀/dāo (knife), 舌/shé (tongue)
Stroke Count: 8
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Guā (First tone)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning: To scrape; to scratch; to shave; to blow (of wind)
Extended Meaning: To remove; to erase; to scrape off;刮脸 (shave face);刮风 (wind blows)
4. Common Words
- 刮风 (guā fēng) - Wind blowing
今天刮风了，温度下降了。
It's windy today, and the temperature has dropped.
- 刮脸 (guā liǎn) - Shave face
他每天早上都要刮脸。
He shaves his face every morning.
- 刮目相看 (guā mù xiāng kàn) - Look at with new eyes
他的进步让我们刮目相看。
His progress has made us look at him with new eyes.
- 刮胡子 (guā hú zi) - Shave beard
爸爸在卫生间刮胡子。
Dad is shaving in the bathroom.
- 刮掉 (guā diào) - Scrape off
请把墙上的旧油漆刮掉。
Please scrape off the old paint from the wall.
5. Grammar & Usage
As a Verb:
- 刮 + Object: 刮风 (wind blows), 刮胡子 (shave beard)
- 刮 + Complement: 刮干净 (scrape clean), 刮掉 (scrape off)
Common Structures:
- 被...刮 + Adjective: 树被风吹刮倒了。(The tree was blown down by the wind.)
- 刮 + 得 + Complement: 风刮得很大。(The wind is blowing very hard.)
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the character "刮" is often associated with concepts of removal, cleaning, and change. The idiom "刮目相看" (guā mù xiāng kàn) is particularly famous, which means to look at someone with new eyes or to reassess someone positively after seeing their improvement. This idiom comes from the Three Kingdoms period story about the general Lü Meng, who transformed from an uneducated warrior to a learned strategist.
Additionally, in traditional Chinese medicine, "刮痧" (guā shā) is a therapeutic technique where the skin is scraped to promote blood circulation and healing, showing how the character is deeply embedded in various aspects of Chinese culture and daily life.
7. Example Sentence
外面刮风了，记得关窗户。
It's windy outside, remember to close the windows.
他用刀子刮掉了桌子上的字。
He scraped off the words on the table with a knife.
几年不见，他的变化让我刮目相看。
After not seeing him for several years, his changes made me look at him with new eyes.
8. Memory Tips
- Component Memory: "刮" consists of "舌" (tongue) and "刂" (knife). Imagine using a knife to scrape something off your tongue - this helps associate the character with its meaning of scraping.
- Sound Association: The pronunciation "guā" rhymes with "瓜" (guā, melon). You can remember that when you eat a melon, you might need to scrape off the seeds.
- Image Association: Visualize the action of shaving or scraping when you see this character.
- Common Phrase: Remember the common phrase "刮风" (guā fēng, windy) to help recall both the character and its pronunciation.