刮

• Pinyin: guā
• Hanzi breakdown: 刮 = 舌 (tongue, phonetic) + 刂 (knife), meaning to scrape

Meaning

To scrape; to shave; to blow (of wind). Removing something from a surface or wind moving forcefully.

Has several common uses: (1) Wind blowing: 刮风 (it's windy), 刮台风 (a typhoon hits); (2) Scraping or shaving: 刮胡子 (shave beard), 刮鱼鳞 (scrape fish scales); (3) Traditional medicine: 刮痧 (gua sha therapy). Can also mean 'to fleece' or 'exploit' in colloquial usage: 刮油水 (skim profits).

Examples

1. 外面刮大风，你出门记得多穿点衣服。 It's very windy outside — remember to dress warmly when you go out.
2. 他每天早上起来第一件事就是刮胡子。 The first thing he does every morning when he wakes up is shave.
3. 刮痧是一种传统的中医疗法，据说可以促进血液循环。 Gua sha is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy said to promote blood circulation.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, grooming, daily life

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 今天刮风，把窗户关上吧。(It's windy today — close the windows.)
• 他刮完胡子显得年轻多了。(He looks much younger after shaving.)

Don't Say

• 说'刮雨' (Don't say 刮雨 for rain — use 下雨; 刮 is specifically for wind)

Origin & History

The character 刮 combines 舌 (tongue) with 刂 (knife radical). Originally depicted using a knife to scrape something off, like using a tongue to lick something clean. Extended to wind 'scraping' across surfaces.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal