擢 calligraphy

擢

to pull out; to select; to promote

Closest English meanings

to promote·pull out·raise·to select

The Calligrapher — Chǔ Suíliáng 褚遂良

Tang chancellor and regular-script master of elegant, balanced strokes.

Tang calligrapher (596–658), master of regular script — Tang master of graceful, tensile regular script favored by the imperial court. Tang dynasty

Cultural Story

擢 is the hand that lifts a man from the crowd. In the Han, a worthy 擢 to the ministry by imperial edict; 拔擢 is the same rise, the weed pulled that the grain may stand. The Han official gazes up the ladder of posts. 擢 also means to pull out — a thorn, a plant — the first motion of raising anything.

Common words & phrases

  • 擢升 to promote · to elevate
  • 擢用 to appoint · to promote to office
  • 拔擢 to promote · to select and promote

Read the story behind the character

In the modern world

HR 擢升 the team lead; the memo 擢用 a junior to the branch. 拔擢 is what a mentor does for a protégé at the annual review. You will not say it over coffee, but it sits in every promotion letter and every grateful speech, the formal verb for being noticed and lifted one rung higher.

Own this character

Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Chǔ Suíliáng 褚遂良, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.