Chinese symbol for “knock”
叩
kòu
to knock; to kowtow
The closest CC-CEDICT match for knock is 叩 (kòu), defined as: to knock; to kowtow.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Other Chinese words for “knock”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 枪 (槍) | qiāng | gun; firearm |
| 磕 | kē | to tap; to knock (against sth hard); (esp.) to knock (mud from boots, ash from a pipe etc); (fandom slang) to be into (a character relationship, dynamic, or trope) |
| 摔打 | shuāi da | to knock; to grasp sth in the hand and beat it |
| 扣 | kòu | to fasten; to button |
| 敲 | qiāo | to hit; to strike |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 叩.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 叩头 (叩頭) | kòu tóu | to kowtow (traditional greeting, esp. to a superior, involving kneeling and pressing one's forehead to the ground); also written 磕头 (kē tóu) |
| 叩问 (叩問) | kòu wèn | (literary) to inquire; to ask |
| 叩首 | kòu shǒu | to kowtow; also written 磕头 (kē tóu) |
| 叩拜 | kòu bài | to bow in salute; to kowtow |
| 叩门 (叩門) | kòu mén | to knock on a door |
| 叩关 (叩關) | kòu guān | to knock at the gate (old); to make an approach |
See also: Japanese symbol for “knock”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.