捧 (pěng): to hold in both hands; to cup i…

Meanings

1 to hold in both hands; to cup in one's palms
2 to praise; to flatter

Characters

捧

peng

to hold in both hands; to praise

Examples

她双手捧着一杯热茶。

Tā shuāngshǒu pěng zhe yì bēi rèchá.

She held a cup of hot tea in both hands.

别捧他了，他会骄傲的。

Bié pěng tā le, tā huì jiāo'ào de.

Stop flattering him, he'll get arrogant.

他捧着奖杯，笑得很开心。

Tā pěng zhe jiǎngbēi, xiào de hěn kāixīn.

He held the trophy in both hands, smiling happily.

Tips

usage

捧 specifically means holding with BOTH hands cupped together, like holding something precious. Holding with one hand is 拿 (ná). The 'praise' meaning comes from the image of lifting someone up on your palms — 捧场 (pěngchǎng) means to show support by attending someone's event.

Components

radical

扌 shǒu

hand (left-side radical of 手)

Left hand radical — three-stroke side-form of 手, the indexing radical for manipulation verbs. In 捧 it doubles the hand imagery already present on the right: holding something cupped, lifted up reverently with both palms. Same family: 拿 to take, 抓 to grab, 提 to lift, 抱 to embrace.

phonetic

奉 fèng

to offer respectfully (phonetic + semantic)

Right 奉 supplies the sound — fèng drifting to pěng via labial alternation. It also adds meaning: 奉 itself pictures two hands offering up a sprig of millet, the gesture of reverent presentation. So 捧 is literally a hand reinforcing the offering — lifting something with both palms.