触 (chù): to touch, to make contact with sth, to stir up sb's emotions
触 (chù) is a Chinese character meaning “to touch.” Classified as HSK Level 5 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 角 (semantic) and 虫 (phonetic). It ranks #1202 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 触 horn. Its radical form 角 (horn) appears in many related characters such as 角 (jiǎo, angle), 解 (jiě, to divide).
Definitions
- to touch
- to make contact with sth
- to stir up sb's emotions
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 触 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 触
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 触摸verb | chù mō | to touch |
| 触动verb | chù dòng | to touch |
| 触发verb | chù fā | to trigger |
| 触犯verb | chù fàn | to violate |
| 触手noun | chù shǒu | tentacle |
| 触及verb | chù jí | to touch (physically, one's feelings etc) |
| 一触即发phrase | yī chù jí fā | could happen at any moment |
| 感触noun | gǎn chù | one's thoughts and feelings |
| 触角noun | chù jiǎo | antenna |
| 抵触verb | dǐ chù | to conflict |
| 触电verb | chù diàn | to get an electric shock |
| 触觉noun | chù jué | sense of touch |
| 触发器noun | chù fā qì | flip-flop (electronics) |
| 触怒verb | chù nù | to anger sb |
| 触礁verb | chù jiāo | (of a ship) to strike a reef |
触 appears in 76 compound words: 68 as the first character, 16 as the last, and 16 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 触 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (10)
be moved by what one sees; memories revive at the sight of familiar places; the scene brings back memories
could break out or flare up at any time (of a situation); on the verge of crisis; in a tense and volatile situation
be moved by what one sees; memories revive at the sight of familiar places; the scene brings back memories
Showing 8 of 10 idioms containing 触.
Example Sentences
不要触摸展品，以免损坏文物。
Bùyào chùmō zhǎnpǐn, yǐmiǎn sǔnhuài wénwù.
Do not touch the exhibits to avoid damaging the cultural relics.
男生小便完甩一下后要不要洗手?接触生殖器后必须清洁吗
nán shēng xiǎo biàn wán shuǎi yī xià hòu yāo bù yāo xǐ shǒu ? jiē chù shēng zhí qì hòu bì xū qīng jié ma
Should boys wash their hands after urinating? Is it mandatory to clean the genitals after touching them?
赴日注意!乱丢“1物”恐触法 日媒:最高罚200万
fù rì zhù yì ! luàn diū 1 wù kǒng chù fǎ rì méi : zuì gāo fá 2 0 0 wàn
Attention to Japan! Throwing "1 thing" indiscriminately may violate the law Japanese media: The maximum fine is 2 million
中方抨滥征税 势触新诉讼
zhōng fāng pēng làn zhēng shuì shì chù xīn sù sòng
China criticizes excessive taxation and is bound to lead to new lawsuits
欧洲斯托克600指数触及新纪录高位
ōu zhōu sī tuō kè zhǐ shǔ chù jí xīn jì lù gāo wèi
Europe's Stoxx 600 touches new record highs
1935年出生的奶奶,解锁触屏
nián chū shēng de nǎi nǎi , xiè suǒ chù bīng
Grandma, born in 1935, unlocks the touchscreen.
他触犯会规，被踢出了俱乐部。
Tā chùfàn huì guī, bèi tī chū le jùlèbù.
He was excluded from the club for infractions of the rules.
触犯法律的人受到惩罚。
Chùfàn fǎlǜ de rén shòudào chéngfá.
People who break the law are punished.
这个活塞不接触汽缸盖。
Zhège huósāi bù jiēchù qìgāng gài.
The piston does not come into contact with the cylinder cover.
我可以触摸这个吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ chùmō zhège ma?
Can I touch this one too?
Character Family
角 Radical Family — Characters sharing the horn radical
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 触 (chù) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 触 and 下?
How many strokes does 触 have?
What is the radical of 触?
What are the components of 触?
What are common words containing 触?
What characters sound the same as 触 (chù)?
Is 触 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 触 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.