抓紧 (zhuā jǐn) — to grip firmly; to hold on tightly; to make the…

Definition

抓紧 is literally 抓 'grab' + 紧 'tight' — it means seizing time or an opportunity before it slips, with a sense of urgency 密切 lacks.

verb

to grip firmlyto hold on tightlyto make the most of (time/opportunity)to not let slip

抓紧。
Guò mǎ lù shí qǐng zhuā jǐn hái zi de shǒu.
Please hold the child's hand firmly when crossing the street.
，抓紧。
Kuài dào kǎo shì le, yào zhuā jǐn shí jiān fù xí.
The exam is coming soon, so you must make good use of time to review.
，抓紧。
Jī huì nán dé, nǐ yào zhuā jǐn zhè ge jī huì.
This opportunity is rare; you should seize it.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

抓 means to grasp and 紧 means tight, so together they express holding firmly or using time 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

Sound part声符shēngfú

爪

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 緊; 紧 is its simplified writing.

臤糸緊

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

臤

臤qiān緊jǐn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 緊 pairs 糸 (thread) with 臤 as a sound part; the simplified 紧 is a later shorthand.

Appears in