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围捕 (wéi bǔ) — to surround and capture (criminals, suspects); to fish with a casting net

Definition

A verb meaning to surround and capture, used mainly for police closing in on suspects or criminals (警方围捕逃犯), and by extension for fishermen netting a school of fish.

verb
to surround and capture (criminals, suspects)to fish with a casting net

Examples

  • 围捕。
    Jǐng chá zhèng zài wéi bǔ zài táo de zuì fàn.
    The police are surrounding and capturing the fugitive criminals.
  • 围捕。
    Yú mín zài qiǎn hǎi qū yòng wǎng wéi bǔ yú qún.
    The fishermen are using nets to surround and catch schools of fish in the shallow sea area.
  • 围捕。
    Jǐng fāng duì táo fàn zhǎn kāi le wéi bǔ xíng dòng.
    The police launched a surround-and-seize operation against the escaped convicts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

围wéisurround
捕bǔcapture

围 means surround and 捕 means capture; together they describe encircling to seize.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 圍; 围 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéienclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
韋
韋wéi圍wéi
Same sound today

The traditional form 圍 pairs 囗 (enclosure) with 韋, which gives the sound; 围 is the simplified form of 圍.

Open 围 →

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
甫
甫fǔ捕bǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

捕 uses 扌 (a hand, from 手) to show catching, and 甫 for the sound.

Open 捕 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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