逮捕 (dài bǔ) — to arrest, to apprehend (a suspect) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

逮捕 (dài bǔ) is the formal/legal verb for arresting a suspect — stronger and more official than 抓 ('to grab/catch') and 拿 ('to seize'), and used only with people in a criminal context.

verb

to arrestto apprehend (a suspect)

Examples

逮捕。
Nà ge táo fàn yǐ jīng bèi dài bǔ le.
That fugitive has already been arrested.
逮捕。
Jǐng fāng lián yè dài bǔ le sān míng fàn zuì xián yí rén.
The police arrested three criminal suspects overnight.
。
Zhí xíng dài bǔ lìng shí bì xū chū shì zhèng jiàn.
You must show identification when executing an arrest warrant.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

Both 逮 and 捕 mean catching, so together they express a formal arrest.

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.

辶隶逮

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

隶

隶lì逮dài

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

逮 combines 辶, a movement-related part, with 隶, which supplies the sound.

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

扌甫捕

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

甫

甫fǔ捕bǔ

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Crime & Police 2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words 3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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