抓住 (zhuā zhù) — to grab hold of; to capture | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

抓住 means physically grabbing or catching something/someone so it can't get away. Often used figuratively for seizing an opportunity (抓住机会), like 'to seize'. The particle 了 marks the completed grab.

verb

to grab hold ofto capture

Examples

。
Tā yì bǎ zhuā zhù le wǒ de shǒu.
He grabbed my hand.
抓住。
Jǐng chá zhōng yú zhuā zhù le nà ge xiǎo tōu.
The police finally captured that thief.
抓住。
Liè rén yòng wǎng zhuā zhù le yì zhī tù zi.
The hunter caught a rabbit with a net.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

抓住 combines 抓 (grab) and 住 (hold), giving grab and hold.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

爪

爪zhuǎ抓zhuā

Same sound today

抓 is built from 手 (hand) and 爪. The hand part points to actions like grab, catch, or scratch, while 爪 gives the sound.

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

亻主住

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.

Appears in

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