抢 (qiǎng) — to grab, to snatch (physically); to rush, to scramble (for a limited resource); to rob, to loot
Definition
抢 covers both snatching something physically and rushing to grab a limited resource. Unlike 抓 ('grab/seize' with a controlled motion) or 偷 ('steal' secretly), 抢 is forceful, public, and competitive.
verb
to grabto snatch (physically)to rushto scramble (for a limited resource)to robto loot
Examples
- 抢，。Bié qiǎng, yí gè yí gè lái.Don't rush; come one at a time.
- 。Tā qiǎng zǒu le wǒ de qián bāo.He snatched my wallet.
- 抢。Dà jiā dōu zài qiǎng shí jiān wán chéng rèn wu.Everyone is rushing against time to finish the task.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 搶; 抢 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng搶qiǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 搶 pairs 扌 (hand) with 倉, which gives the sound; the simplified 抢 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.
Appears in
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