| niān | to nip/to grasp with fingers/to draw lots |
| nián | to nip/to grasp with fingers/to draw lots |
| 拈 | to nip to grasp with fingers to draw lots |
| 拈指 | a snap of the fingers a short moment in a flash |
| 拈花惹草 | to play with flowers and grass (idiom); to philander to frequent brothels to sow one's wild oats |
| 拈轻怕重 | pick the easy jobs and shirk the hard ones |
| 拈阄儿 | draw lots |
| 拈香 | burn incense |