What does 拉 mean in Chinese?

拉 (lā) means "to pull; to play (a bowed instrument); to drag; to draw; to chat" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 4.

How do you pronounce 拉?

拉 is pronounced "lā" in Mandarin Chinese. The tone number is 1.

What HSK level is 拉?

拉 is an HSK 4 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 4 on both the old and the new exam.

What words contain the character 拉?

Common words with 拉 include 杰拉 (Gela (city in Sicily)), 不拉叽 ((nasty, stupid etc) as can be), 不拉几 ((dialect) extremely), 乃堆拉 (Nathu La (Himalayan pass on Silk Road between Tibet and Indian Sikkim)), 亚非拉 (Asia, Africa and Latin America).

How do you write 拉?

You can practice writing 拉 using our stroke order tool.

拉 (lā), to pull

拉

lā

to pull; to play (a bowed instrument); to drag; to draw

HSK 4verb

Character Breakdown

Radical: 手 (no. 64)

View stroke order →

Definitions

(verb) to pull
to play (a bowed instrument)
to drag
to draw
to chat

Example Sentences

请帮我拉一下门。

Qǐng bāng wǒ lā yíxià mén

Please help me pull the door

Words Containing 拉

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
杰拉	Jié lā	Gela (city in Sicily)
不拉叽	bù lā jī	(nasty, stupid etc) as can be
不拉几	bù lā jī	(dialect) extremely
乃堆拉	Nǎi duī lā	Nathu La (Himalayan pass on Silk Road between Tibet and Indian Sikkim)
亚非拉	Yà Fēi Lā	Asia, Africa and Latin America

Related Words

引(yǐn)· to draw (e.g. a bow)

引入(yǐn rù)· to draw into

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HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 4
HSK 2.0: HSK 4
HSK Lord study list: HSK 2 list

拉: HSK 4 on both the old and the new exam. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 4 exam

Studying for HSK 4? Keep 拉 with the rest of your level.

HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each character comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.

Start studying free The words new HSK 4 adds

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.