拦劫 (lán jié) — to intercept and rob; to mug

Definition

verb
to intercept and robto mug
Easily confused

Examples

  • 拦劫。
    Jǐng fāng zhuā huò le yí gè zhuān mén zài yè jiān lán jié lù rén de tuán huǒ.
    The police caught a gang that specialized in mugging pedestrians at night.
  • ，拦劫。
    Zhè tiáo jiē zhì ān hěn chà, jīng cháng fā shēng lán jié shì jiàn.
    This street has poor public security, and muggings often occur.
  • 拦劫。
    Tā yīn wèi cān yù lán jié bèi pàn chǔ wǔ nián yǒu qī tú xíng.
    He was sentenced to five years in prison for participating in a robbery.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

拦lánintercept
劫jiérob

拦 means intercept, 劫 means rob; the two actions happen together.

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 攔; 拦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhands
Sound part声符shēngfú
闌
闌lán攔lán
Same sound today

In the traditional form 攔, 扌 (hands) is paired with 闌, which gives the sound. The simplified 拦 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the original sound part.

Open 拦 →

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
力力lìpower, force
Sound part声符shēngfú
去
去qù劫jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

劫 pairs 去, which gives the sound, with 力, meaning power or force.

Open 劫 →

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