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抓获 (zhuā huò) — to capture, to arrest (a criminal)

Definition

抓获 means to successfully catch and take a criminal into custody — stronger and more conclusive than 抓 ('to grab, seize'), which can refer to any sudden grab. The result is arrest in hand, not just pursuit.

verb
to captureto arrest (a criminal)

Examples

  • 抓获。
    Jǐng fāng zài yí gè yuè nèi zhuā huò le sān míng fàn zuì xián yí rén.
    The police captured three criminal suspects within one month.
  • 抓获。
    Táo fàn zuì zhōng zài biān jìng bèi zhuā huò.
    The fugitive was eventually captured at the border.
  • 抓获。
    Zhè cì xíng dòng chéng gōng zhuā huò le fàn zuì tuán huǒ de tóu mù.
    This operation successfully captured the leader of the criminal gang.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

抓zhuāgrab
获huòobtain

抓 (grab) + 获 (obtain) gives the result of catching someone.

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
手手shǒu
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.

Open 抓 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獲; 获 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
蒦
蒦huò獲huò
Same sound today

The traditional form 獲 combines 犭 (dog) with 蒦, a sound part, to show catching animals with a dog. The simplified 获 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 获 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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