拉 (lā) – Word of the Day | Toronto Chinese Academy
Learn the Mandarin word “拉 (lā)” — meaning to pull, drag, or draw. Includes pinyin, English definitions, example sentences, and visually similar characters.
Simplified： 拉
Pinyin： lā
Traditional： 拉
to pull, drag
to draw (e.g., curtains, bow)
to play (string instruments, e.g., violin, erhu)
colloquial: to chat, to poop (context-dependent)
Examples:
1,
请帮我拉一下门。
Please help me pull the door.
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2,
孩子拉着妈妈的手过马路。
The child held his mother’s hand to cross the street.
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3,
他会拉小提琴。
He can play the violin.
Visually Similar / Easily Confused Characters
At Toronto Chinese Academy, we teach learners how “拉” is used in daily life — from pulling objects to playing instruments — and how to distinguish it from visually similar characters like “啦” and “垃.”