巧取豪夺 (qiǎo qǔ háo duó) — to seize (property, power, etc.) through trickery or force; to obtain by unscrupulous means

Definition

A formal idiom for seizing property or rights by trickery (巧取) plus brute force (豪夺). Used in writing to condemn greedy, underhanded acquisition — not everyday speech.

idiom
to seize (property, power, etc.) through trickery or forceto obtain by unscrupulous means

Examples

  • 巧取豪夺,。
    Nà xiē dì zhǔ qiǎo qǔ háo duó, bǎ nóng mín de tǔ dì dōu zhàn wéi jǐ yǒu.
    Those landlords seized the farmers' land through trickery and force, taking it all for themselves.
  • 巧取豪夺。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī tōng guò qiǎo qǔ háo duó de shǒu duàn huò qǔ le jìng zhēng duì shǒu de jì shù.
    This company used unscrupulous means to obtain its competitor's technology.
  • 巧取豪夺,。
    Lì shǐ shàng yǒu hěn duō qiǎo qǔ háo duó de àn lì, lìng rén shēn sī.
    There are many historical cases of seizure through trickery and force, which give us food for thought.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

巧取take by cleverness
巧qiǎoclever取qǔtake
偏正Modifier + head
豪夺seize by force
豪háoforceful夺duóseize
偏正Modifier + head

巧取 means take by cleverness and 豪夺 means seize by force, describing unscrupulous obtaining.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
工工gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo巧qiǎo
Same sound today

巧 is made of 工 and 丂; 工 points to its meaning, and 丂 points to its sound.

Open 巧 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

取 pairs 又 (hand) with 耳 (ear), showing a hand taking an ear, as in taking the ear of fallen prey.

Open 取 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
豕豕shǐpig, boar
Sound part声符shēngfú
高
高gāo豪háo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

豪 shows 豕, a pig or boar, together with 高, which gives its sound.

Open 豪 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 奪; 夺 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 奪 includes 又 (a hand), 雀 (a bird), and 衣 (clothing), showing a hand seizing a bird from someone; the simplified 夺 is a later abbreviation.

Open 夺 →

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