掫
How to Say
How to Write
Meaning: beat the night watches
💡 Think 'zōu' sounds like 'so' — 'so the watchman beats the gong.'
Compounds
Character Story & Explanation
掫 (zōu) means 'to beat the night watches,' an ancient Chinese practice where night watchmen would strike a gong or wooden clapper to mark the hours and patrol for safety. This character combines the hand radical (扌) with 取 (qǔ, 'take'), suggesting the action of striking. Unlike Western night watches (e.g., London's 'watchmen' or 'bellmen'), Chinese night watches were systematically organized into five two-hour periods, each announced by a specific pattern of beats. The character appears in historical texts but is rarely used in modern Chinese.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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