擦

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to rub; to scratch; to wipe; to polish; to apply (lipstick, lotion etc); to brush (past); to shred (a vegetable etc)

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

扌 meaning “hand” + 察 sound ( chá )

Components 扌察

scrub · Heisig RSH #912

fingers + 察 scrutinize

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
打擦边球	dǎ cā biān qiú	to bend the rules; to skirt around the issue
擦身而过	cā shēn ér guò	to brush past
擦黑儿	cā hēi r	(dialect) dusk
板擦儿	bǎn cā r	blackboard or whiteboard eraser
擦网球	cā wǎng qiú	net ball; let (tennis etc)
擦枪走火	cā qiāng zǒu huǒ	to shoot accidentally while polishing a gun; (fig.) a minor incident that sparks a war
擦边球	cā biān qiú	(table tennis) edge ball; (fig.) actions that are technically legal but perhaps not respec…
可擦除可编程只读存储器	kě cā chú kě biān chéng zhǐ dú cún chǔ qì	EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory)
塞擦音	sè cā yīn	affricate (phonetics)
摩擦力	mó cā lì	friction
擦子	cā zi	eraser; (kitchen) grater; shredder
摩擦音	mó cā yīn	fricative (phonetics)
擦音	cā yīn	fricative
喉擦音	hóu cā yīn	guttural fricative
擦肩而过	cā jiān ér guò	to brush past; to pass by (sb); (fig.) to miss (an opportunity, a danger etc); to have a b…
擦油	cā yóu	to oil; to anoint
可擦写	kě cā xiě	erasable
擦干	cā gān	to wipe dry
板擦	bǎn cā	blackboard or whiteboard eraser
擦棒球	cā bàng qiú	foul tip

Characters sharing the sound component 察 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
察 sound part	chá	to examine, to investigate, to observe
嚓	cā	a cracking or snapping sound
镲	chǎ	cymbals
檫	chá	Sassafras tzumu