扼住 (è zhù) — to grip tightly, to clutch, to strangle; (figurative) to take hold of, to control

Definition

Stronger than 抓住: 扼住 emphasizes gripping the throat or a vital point, so it implies control or strangulation. Often used figuratively (e.g., fate 'takes someone by the throat').

verb
to grip tightlyto clutchto strangle(figurative) to take hold ofto control

Examples

  • 扼住。
    Tā měng de è zhù duì fāng de bó zi.
    He suddenly clutched the other person's throat.
  • 扼住，。
    Tā è zhù shǒu zhōng de bāo, shēng pà bèi rén qiǎng zǒu.
    She clutched the bag in her hand, afraid someone would snatch it.
  • 扼住。
    Mìng yùn è zhù le tā de yān hóu.
    Fate has taken him by the throat.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

扼ègrip
住zhùhold fast

扼 (grip) and 住 (hold fast) combine to mean gripping tightly.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
厄
厄è扼è
Same sound today

The left side is 扌, a hand; the right side is 厄, which gives the sound.

Open 扼 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →

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