拖

• Pinyin: tuō
• Hanzi breakdown: 拖 = 扌(hand) + 它 (it, phonetic)

Meaning

To drag; to pull; to delay; to procrastinate. To move something by pulling, or to postpone action.

Physical meaning: to drag or pull something along the ground. Abstract meaning: to delay, procrastinate, or drag out. Very common in colloquial speech for procrastination. Related words: 拖延 (to delay), 拖拉 (sluggish), 拖地 (to mop the floor).

Examples

1. 这个项目已经拖了好几个月了，必须尽快完成。 This project has been delayed for several months and must be completed as soon as possible.
2. 孩子不愿意走，妈妈只好拖着他往前走。 The child didn't want to walk, so the mother had to drag him forward.
3. 别再拖了，今天必须把报告写完。 Stop procrastinating. You must finish the report today.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, workplace, colloquial

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 别拖了，快点做！(Stop procrastinating, do it quickly!)
• 他把行李箱拖进了房间。(He dragged the suitcase into the room.)

Don't Say

• 我拖延了这件事 — 可以说但有点重复，口语直接说'我拖了'就行

Origin & History

Pictophonetic character with 扌(hand) as the semantic component, indicating an action done with the hands.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal