追捕 (zhuī bǔ) — to pursue and capture; to hunt down

Definition

verb
to pursue and captureto hunt down

Examples

  • 追捕
    Jǐng chá zhèng zài quán lì zhuī bǔ nà ge xián yí rén.
    The police are doing their utmost to pursue and capture that suspect.
  • 追捕
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō jiǎng de shì zhuī bǔ yì zhī xiōng měng de yě shòu.
    This novel is about the pursuit and capture of a ferocious beast.
  • 追捕
    Jīng guò sān tiān sān yè de zhuī bǔ, zhōng yú zhuā dào le táo fàn.
    After three days and nights of pursuit, the escaped convict was finally caught.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

zhuīpursue
capture

追 (pursue) and 捕 (capture) together mean to chase and catch.

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
Written in full aschuòmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂤
𠂤𠂤zhuī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 辶 part shows movement, while 𠂤 gives the sound, for the sense of moving after or pursuing.

Open 追 →

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
Written in full asshǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

捕 uses 扌 (a hand, from 手) to show catching, and 甫 for the sound.

Open 捕 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.