Chinese–EnglishWith examples

拉

lā · la

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 2Old HSK 4

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. to pull
  2. to play (a bowed instrument)
  3. to drag
  4. to draw
  5. to chat
  6. (coll.) to empty one's bowels
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In a conversation

0:17 cartoon

Push or pull

  1. Leon

    门(mén)打不开(dǎbùkāi)，我(wǒ)推(tuī)了(le)五次(wǔcì)。

    The door won't open. I pushed five times.

  2. Dengdeng

    你(nǐ)看(kàn)，门(mén)上(shàng)写(xiě)着(zhe)“拉(lā)”。

    Look, the door says "pull".

  3. Leon

    拉(lā)是(shì)什么(shénme)意思(yìsi)？

    What does 拉 mean?

  4. Dengdeng

    拉(lā)，就是(jiùshì)往(wǎng)自己(zìjǐ)这边(zhèbiān)来(lái)。

    Pull means toward yourself.

  5. Leon

    我(wǒ)拉(lā)……开(kāi)了(le)！

    I pull... it's open!

  6. Dengdeng

    里面(lǐmiàn)那个(nàge)门(mén)写(xiě)的(de)是(shì)“推(tuī)”。

    The inner door says "push".

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

他(tā)用(yòng)力(lì)拉(lā)着(zhe)绳(shéng)子(zi)，把(bǎ)船(chuán)靠(kào)到(dào)岸(àn)边(biān)。

He pulled hard on the rope and brought the boat to the shore.

02

她(tā)从(cóng)小(xiǎo)就(jiù)学(xué)拉(lā)小(xiǎo)提(tí)琴(qín)。

She has been learning to play the violin since she was little.

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Stroke order & practice

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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