挠 (náo): to scratch (an itch)

Meanings

1 to scratch (an itch)
2 to hinder; to yield

Characters

挠

náo

to scratch; to yield

Examples

HSK 7-9

他挠了挠头，不知道怎么回答。

Tā náo le náotóu, bùzhīdào zěnme huídá.

He scratched his head, not knowing how to answer.

HSK 7-9

背上好痒，帮我挠一下。

Bèishàng hǎo yǎng, bāng wǒ náo yīxià.

My back is really itchy, scratch it for me.

Tips

usage

挠头 (scratch one's head) is used both literally and figuratively - 让人挠头 means 'that's a head-scratcher.' Also: 不屈不挠 (bùqū-bùnáo) = indomitable/unyielding - a common idiom where 挠 means 'to yield.'

Components

radical

扌 shǒu

hand (radical form of 手)

Left hand radical - the side form of 手 compressed to three strokes. The indexing radical for 挠, which names a hand action: scratching an itch, or by extension scratching one's head in confusion, or disturbing someone. Sits alongside 抓, 抠, 摸 in the manual-contact family.

phonetic

尧 yáo

lofty; the sage-king Yao

Right 尧 supplies the sound yáo → náo through a regular initial shift. Pure phonetic; the legendary-emperor association has no bearing here. Same phonetic appears in 烧 (burn), 浇 (pour), 绕 (wind around) - a tight family sharing the -ao rhyme.