擰 (níng) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

擰

níng[ning2]Tone 2

to pinch, wring

HSK 7

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拧

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · to pinch, wring

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:17

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (扌) must be narrower and compressed to leave ample space for the complex right component (宁).

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 擰 uses 寧 on the right side, which was kept intact in the simplified version 拧.

1. Meaning

to pinch or wring

to twist (with fingers)stubborn, perverse

Verb / AdjectiveColloquial#action#hand movement#personality

Sample Usage

他把湿衣服拧干了。
Tā bǎ shī yīfu níng gān le.
He wrung the wet clothes dry.
这孩子脾气很拧。
Zhè háizi píqi hěn níng.
This child has a very stubborn temper.

2. Sound

/[niŋ³⁵]/Tone: 35

擰

níngning2

´(35)

=níng

Build the syllable

Step-by-step blending

ning

Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "i" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).

Initial Consonant

Type: Alveolar Nasal

Sounds like: n sound as in 'no'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Air passes completely through nose.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip pressed against the alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth.

Final Rhyme

ing

Vowel Group: -i vowel group

Sounds like: -ing rhymes with 'sing'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'eeng'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T2 (35)

3 → 5 (35)

2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 starts in the middle and rises sharply to the top, exactly like saying 'What?' in English when asking for clarification.

Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2 syllable, it undergoes normal rising tone sandhi rules depending on sentence stress.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse with nìng (Tone 4), which sounds sharp and abrupt.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand gesture moving from low-middle to high, matching an inquisitive upward question pitch.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 17 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (扌) must be narrower and compressed to leave ample space for the complex right component (宁).

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 擰 uses 寧 on the right side, which was kept intact in the simplified version 拧.

4. Components

Radical 扌 · Hand Radical (Hand actions or physical manipulation)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 扌 (Indicates actions performed with the hand (pinching, wringing, twisting).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 宁 (original sound: níng)

A hand (扌) interacts with a structure or object (宁) to twist, wring, or pinch it.

扌 Hand action
宁 Phonetic clue providing the sound 'níng'

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

4· Phonetic Root: 寧

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the hand radical (扌) showing physical action and 宁 providing the sound, evolving to represent twisting and wringing motions.

Semantic Evolution: Originally denoting physical hand-twisting of cloths or objects, it extended metaphorically to describe a stubborn, twisted personality ('stubborn' / 拧).

The character bridges physical mechanical actions with human psychological traits.

6. Sinosphere

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Your hand (扌) grabs a wet towel to wring it out, making a 'ning-ning' squeaking sound as the water drips down.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

寧

Phonetic Core (声旁)

嚀

+ 口 (mouth)

檸

+ 木 (tree)

Explore this family →

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

宁(níng)

Missing the left hand radical (扌).

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

洗完衣服後要把水[___]乾。

Clue: níng

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the hand radical (扌) with other similar radicals or misapplying the tone when using it as an adjective meaning stubborn.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 拧 mean when combined with the hand radical and the sound níng?

Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to wring or pinch' (níng)?

擰níngto pinch, wring

Speed:

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