chōu

to draw out, to pull out

HSK 5 8 strokes
Stroke order animation for 抽

Words with this Character

Usage of

The character primarily means 'to draw out' or 'to pull out.' It is commonly used when referring to physically pulling something out from a container or space, such as drawing out a paper or drawing blood. Another frequent use is in the context of smoking, where means 'to smoke' a cigarette.

Common Collocations

  • (chōuchū): to extract or draw out, often used in formal or technical contexts.
  • 抽烟 (chōu yān): to smoke a cigarette.
  • (chōu xiě): to draw blood, commonly used in medical contexts.

Notes

When using , the object is usually something tangible that can be physically pulled or extracted. It differs from (ná), which means 'to take' or 'to hold' but does not imply pulling out. Also, 抽烟 is a fixed expression meaning 'to smoke,' and it is not interchangeable with other verbs for smoking.

Avoid confusing with (zhuā), which means 'to grab' or 'to catch,' as emphasizes pulling out rather than grabbing.

Example Sentences

他从口袋里抽出一张纸条。

Tā cóng kǒudài lǐ chōu chū yī zhāng zhǐtiáo.

He pulled out a slip of paper from his pocket.

医生给病人抽血做检查。

Yīshēng gěi bìngrén chōu xiě zuò jiǎnchá.

The doctor drew blood from the patient for testing.

他抽了一根烟,显得很放松。

Tā chōu le yī gēn yān, xiǎnde hěn fàngsōng.

He smoked a cigarette and looked very relaxed.