持械 (chí xiè) — to be armed (with a weapon, especially when com… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Formal/legal term for committing a crime while armed with a weapon, almost always seen as 持械抢劫 or 持械行凶. Learners will encounter it mainly in news and court reporting.

verb

to be armed (with a weapon, especially when committing a crime)

Examples

持械。
Tā yīn wèi chí xiè qiǎng jié bèi pàn le shí nián.
He was sentenced to ten years for armed robbery.
持械。
Jǐng fāng dài bǔ le sān míng chí xiè xián yí rén.
The police arrested three armed suspects.
持械，。
Tā men chí xiè chuǎng rù yín háng, qiǎng zǒu le xiàn jīn.
They armed themselves and broke into the bank, stealing cash.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

To 持 a 械 is to hold or carry a weapon, hence being armed.

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

寺

寺sì持chí

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

持 combines 手 (hand), for the idea of holding, with 寺, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木戒械

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

戒

戒jiè械xiè

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

械 pairs 木, meaning wood, with 戒 for sound. The early sense was handcuffs or shackles, later extended to devices.

Appears in

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