擢
to pull out; to select; to promote
Closest English meanings
to promote·pull out·raise·to select
The Calligrapher — Wáng Xiànzhī 王献之
Son of Wang Xizhi and pioneer of wild cursive who pushed brush freedom further.
Eastern Jin calligrapher (344–386), master of running script/cursive script — seventh son of Wang Xizhi who broke his father's rules for a more fluent, emotional running script; together they are 'the Two Wangs'. Eastern Jin 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
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 Wáng Xiànzhī 王献之, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.