Meaning & readings

wipe, mop, swab

On’yomi ショク、シキ
Kun’yomi ぬぐ.う、ふ.く

Origin

This character combines a hand radical on the left with the component 式 on the right. The hand indicates a physical action performed with the hands, while 式 suggests a pattern or manner of doing something. Together they depict the action of wiping or rubbing something clean with your hand in a particular motion. The result is a character that captures the idea of using your hands to clean or dry a surface.

拭 9 strokes

Components

  • 扌 radical left
  • 式 meaning part right

Common words

  • 拭う ぬぐう to wipe; to mop up
  • 拭く ふく to wipe; to dry
  • 払拭 ふっしょく wiping out; sweeping away

Reference

Strokes
9
Kangxi radical
64
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#2421 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
—
Unicode
U+062ED