揉

• Pinyin: róu
• Hanzi breakdown: 揉 = 扌(hand) + 柔 (soft/pliable) — using the hand to create softness through rubbing

Meaning

To rub; to knead; to massage; to crumple. Involves applying circular or pressing motion with the hands on a surface or material.

Used for kneading dough, rubbing tired eyes, massaging sore muscles, or crumpling paper. 揉 implies repeated circular motion with pressure. Common compounds: 揉面 (knead dough), 揉眼睛 (rub eyes), 揉肩膀 (massage shoulders), 揉成一团 (crumple into a ball).

Examples

1. 她将面粉和水按照比例混合，然后用力揉了大约二十分钟，直到面团变得光滑有弹性。 She mixed the flour and water in the right proportion, then kneaded vigorously for about twenty minutes until the dough became smooth and elastic.
2. 长时间盯着屏幕工作后，他忍不住揉了揉酸涩疲惫的双眼，希望稍微缓解不适。 After staring at the screen for a long time, he couldn’t help rubbing his sore, tired eyes, hoping to ease the discomfort a little.
3. 他看完那封令他愤怒的信件后，将其揉成一团，狠狠地扔进了垃圾桶里。 After reading that infuriating letter, he crumpled it into a ball and angrily threw it into the trash can.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, cooking, health, body

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 按摩师建议他每天早晨花几分钟揉捏肩颈部位，以改善该区域的血液循环状况。(The masseuse advised him to spend a few minutes each morning kneading the shoulder and neck area to improve blood circulation in that region.)
• 制作手工面条时，充分揉面是确保面条筋道有弹性的关键步骤，不能省略。(When making hand-pulled noodles, thoroughly kneading the dough is a key step that ensures the noodles are chewy and springy — it cannot be skipped.)

Don't Say

• 他揉了整面墙 — 揉 is used for small, hand-sized actions on flexible materials; use 涂抹 for spreading over large surfaces or 打磨 for sanding

Origin & History

揉 = 扌(hand radical) + 柔 (soft/pliable) — to use the hand to make something soft through rubbing or kneading

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal