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活捉 (huó zhuō) — to capture alive

Definition

活捉 is a formal/military term meaning to catch a person or animal while still alive, as opposed to killing them. Common in news and military reports; in everyday speech 抓住 or 抓活的 is more natural.

verb
to capture alive

Examples

  • 活捉。
    Jǐng chá huó zhuō le nà ge táo fàn.
    The police captured that fugitive alive.
  • 活捉。
    Shì bīng men huó zhuō le yì míng dí jūn zhǐ huī guān.
    The soldiers captured an enemy commander alive.
  • 活捉。
    Liè rén yòng xiàn jǐng huó zhuō le yì zhī lǎo hǔ.
    The hunter captured a tiger alive using a trap.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

活huóalive
捉zhuōcapture

活 (alive) describes the state in which someone is 捉 (captured).

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑活huó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

活 is built from 氵 (water) and 𠯑, which shows the sound; 𠯑 later changed into 舌.

Open 活 →

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shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
足
足zú捉zhuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

捉 pairs 扌, the hand form of 手, with 足, which gives the character its sound.

Open 捉 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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