抖

• Pinyin: dǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 抖 = 扌(hand) + 斗 (phonetic)

Meaning

To shake, tremble, or quiver. Can describe involuntary shaking from cold or fear, or deliberate shaking of an object to dislodge something.

Used for involuntary trembling (from cold, fear, illness) or deliberate shaking of objects. Colloquially, 抖威风 means to show off authority. In internet slang, 抖 is associated with Douyin and viral fame.

Examples

1. 他冻得浑身发抖，嘴唇都变成了紫色。 He was shivering all over from the cold, and his lips had even turned purple.
2. 她抖了抖外套上的雪花，才推门走了进去。 She shook the snow off her coat before pushing the door open and going inside.
3. 老人的双手因帕金森病而不停地颤抖。 The elderly man’s hands trembled constantly because of Parkinson’s disease.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, health, colloquial

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 检查完机械设备后，他抖了抖手上的油污，准备收工。(After inspecting the machinery, he shook the grease off his hands and prepared to call it a day.)
• 听到这个消息，她吓得双腿直抖，一句话都说不出来。(Upon hearing the news, her legs trembled so badly that she couldn't utter a single word.)

Don't Say

• 抖动知识 — for 'sharing knowledge' say 分享知识; 抖 means physical trembling or shaking, not intellectual dissemination

Origin & History

扌(hand radical) + 斗 (phonetic component)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal