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捉拿 (zhuō ná) — to arrest, to catch (a criminal)

Definition

捉拿 (zhuōná) is a formal/official term for 'to arrest or apprehend' a suspect or criminal, typically used by authorities in news and legal contexts — stronger and more deliberate than the everyday 抓.

verb
to arrestto catch (a criminal)

Examples

  • 捉拿。
    Jǐng chá yǐ jīng zhuō ná le nà ge xiǎo tōu.
    The police have already arrested that thief.
  • 捉拿。
    Tā men zhèng zài zhuō ná táo pǎo de huài rén.
    They are arresting the fleeing bad guys.
  • 捉拿。
    Zhè cì xíng dòng de mù biāo shì zhuō ná zhǔ yào zuì fàn.
    The goal of this operation is to arrest the main criminal.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

捉zhuōcatch
拿náseize

捉 means catch and 拿 means seize, so the word describes catching and seizing someone.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
足
足zú捉zhuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

捉 pairs 扌, the hand form of 手, with 足, which gives the character its sound.

Open 捉 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 拿 pairs 合 with 手, and it is a later alternative form for taking with the hand.

Open 拿 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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