拉lā

拉 (lā) is a simplified character that keeps the same shape as the traditional 拉, pairing the hand radical 扌 with the phonetic component 立. The character conveys the action of pulling or dragging, as in 拉手 (lā shǒu, to pull someone's hand) or 拉车 (lā chē, to pull a cart). Its composition—a hand (扌) pulling a standing figure (立)— visually captures the motion of drawing something toward oneself, a sense that has been consistent from ancient inscriptions to modern speech.