Learn a Chinese Character - 扣

1. Character Basics

Radical: 扌 (shǒu, hand radical)

Stroke Count: 7

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: kòu (fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Button, to button up, to deduct, to detain, to扣住, to扣紧

4. Common Words

• 扣子 (kòuzi) - button
• 扣除 (kòuchú) - to deduct
• 扣留 (kòuliú) - to detain
• 扣分 (kòufēn) - to deduct points
• 扣押 (kòuyā) - to seize, to detain
• 扣篮 (kòulán) - to dunk (in basketball)
• 扣紧 (kòujǐn) - to fasten tightly
• 扣减 (kòujiǎn) - to reduce by deduction
• 回扣 (huíkòu) - rebate, kickback

5. Grammar & Usage

As a verb (meaning to button/to fasten):

• 表示用扣子固定住 - to fasten with buttons
• 请把衣服扣上 - Please button up your clothes
• 他扣紧了安全带 - He fastened his seat belt tightly

As a verb (meaning to deduct):

• 表示从总额中减去一部分 - to subtract a portion from the total
• 公司会从工资中扣除税款 - The company will deduct taxes from the salary
• 迟到三次会被扣十分 - Three late arrivals will result in a deduction of ten points

As a verb (meaning to detain):

• 表示暂时扣留某人或某物 - to temporarily detain someone or something
• 海关扣押了可疑的包裹 - Customs detained the suspicious package
• 警察扣留了他的护照 - The police detained his passport

6. Cultural Background

在中国传统服饰中，扣子扮演着重要的角色。中国传统服装如汉服、旗袍等通常使用盘扣（pánkòu，也称为盘纽、纽绊）作为扣子。这些盘扣不仅具有实用功能，还具有装饰性，体现了中国传统工艺的精湛。

在现代生活中，"扣"字常用于财务和管理领域，表示扣除或扣减。例如，工资中的税款扣除、考试中的分数扣除等。此外，"扣"字在体育术语中也很常见，如篮球中的"扣篮"动作。

"扣"字还常用于表达对事物的控制或限制，如"扣紧"、"扣留"等词汇，体现了对事物的约束和管理。

In traditional Chinese clothing, buttons play an important role. Traditional Chinese garments such as Hanfu and Qipao typically use Pankou (盘扣, also known as Panniu or Niuban) as buttons. These Pankou not only have practical functions but also decorative features, showcasing the exquisite traditional Chinese craftsmanship.

In modern life, the character "扣" is often used in financial and management fields to mean deduction or subtraction. For example, tax deductions from salaries, score deductions in exams, etc. In addition, "扣" is also common in sports terminology, such as the "dunk" action in basketball.

The character "扣" is also often used to express control or restriction of things, such as words like "扣紧" (to fasten tightly) and "扣留" (to detain), reflecting the constraint and management of things.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

"扣"字由"扌"（shǒu, hand）和"口"（kǒu, mouth）组成。你可以想象用手（扌）操作扣子，或者用手扣住某样东西，这样就能记住"扣"的意思了。另外，"扣"字的发音和"口"相近，也可以帮助记忆。

The character "扣" is composed of "扌" (shǒu, hand) and "口" (kǒu, mouth). You can imagine using your hand (扌) to operate a button or to hold something, which can help you remember the meaning of "扣". In addition, the pronunciation of "扣" is similar to "口", which can also aid in memory.