Dictionary › 拈

拈

niān

Character

What 拈 means

1. to nip
2. to grasp with the fingers
3. to fiddle with
4. Taiwan pr. nián

Words starting with 拈

• 拈指niān zhǐa snap of the fingers; a short moment; in a flash
• 拈酸niān suān(old) to be jealous
• 拈香niān xiāngburn incense
• 拈花惹草niān huā rě cǎolit. to pick the flowers and trample the grass (idiom); fig. to womanize…

Words containing 拈

• 手到拈来shǒu dào niān láilit. to stretch a hand and grab it (idiom); fig. easy to do
• 惹草拈花rě cǎo niān huāsee 拈花惹草

Characters built on 占

These share the phonetic component 占 (zhàn), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 店diàninn; old-style hotel; (bound form) shop; store
• 点diǎnto touch briefly; to tap; to mark with a dot; to check off (on a list)…
• 黏niánsticky; glutinous; (Taiwan) to adhere; to stick on; to glue
• 扂diàndoor latch
• 玷diànblemish; disgrace; flaw in jade
• 鲇niánsheatfish (Parasilurus asotus); oriental catfish; see also 鲶
• 坫diànstand for goblets

Characters that look like 拈

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 挂guàto hang; to suspend (from a hook etc); to hang up (the phone); (of a line) to be dead
• 柱zhùpillar
• 抬táito lift; to raise; (of two or more persons) to carry
• 挡dǎngto resist; to obstruct; to hinder
• 枯kū(of plants) withered; (of wells, rivers etc) dried up; (bound form) dull; boring
• 拮jiéantagonistic; laboring hard; pressed

Sounds the same

Read niān, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 蔫to fade; to wither; to wilt