HSK 7, v, 7 strokes, radical 力, rank #3734, Very Hard
劫
jié
to plunder
HSK 7, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 力, rank #3734, Very Hard
劫
jié
to seize by force
HSK 7, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 力, rank #3734, Very Hard
劫
jié
calamity
HSK 7, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 力, rank #3734, Very Hard
劫
jié
abbr. for kalpa 劫波[jie2 bo1]
HSK 7, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 力, rank #3734, Very Hard
jié(jie2) T2
1to take by force, to coerce; disaster; misfortune
2to plunder
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March 24, 2026
劫(刦)jié(jie2)
The character 劫 (jié) primarily means 'to take by force' or 'to coerce.' It is often used in contexts related to disasters or misfortunes, reflecting situations where one is forcibly deprived of something. The nuance of this word can imply both physical acts of plunder and broader calamities or hardships.
Strokes7Radical力Frequency#3734DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 劫 is often associated with stories of natural disasters or historical calamities, reflecting the importance of resilience and overcoming misfortune in traditional narratives.
Memory Tip
Imagine a giant hand emerging from a disaster scene, grabbing everything in its path. The hand represents the forceful action of 劫 (jié), and you can think of the hand as a 'jié' that seizes what is around it, linking the character's meaning to its pronunciation.
Meanings of 劫
jié(jie2)
1to take by force, to coerce; disaster; misfortune
2to plunder
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 劫
劫Simplified
刦Traditional
7Strokes
力Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#3734Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 劫
Podcast: 劫
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AI Study Notes for 劫
Quick Contrast
劫 (jié) vs 夺 (duó): use 劫 when emphasizing coercion or force, while 夺 focuses more on the act of seizing or taking away without the same connotation of violence.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 劫 with similar characters, leading to incorrect usage in contexts involving theft or coercion. This character is generally used in more formal or literary contexts, so be cautious with its register. A common collocation is 劫持 (jié chí), meaning 'to hijack.'
HSK Study Tips
Though 劫 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to other words related to conflict or force, such as 夺 (duó, to seize) and 努力 (nǔ lì, to strive). Focus on understanding its use in disaster-related vocabulary and its implications in storytelling.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 劫 with the character 夹 (jiā, to夹夹), resulting in incorrect phrases like 劫夹 (jié jiā). Remember, 劫 specifically relates to forceful actions or calamities.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 劫
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Phonosemantic compound. 力 represents the meaning and 去 represents the sound. Simplified form of 刦.
1The meaning half力 carries the sense.
2The sound half去 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaystrength
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 劫? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 劫?
Decomposition of 劫
IDS Structure⿰去力
劫Full Character
=
去qu4
left
力Li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 劫?
How to say to take by force, to coerce; disaster; misfortune in Chinese
“to take by force, to coerce; disaster; misfortune” in Chinese is劫jié
The character 劫 (jié) primarily means 'to take by force' or 'to coerce.' It is often used in contexts related to disasters or misfortunes, reflecting situations where one is forcibly deprived of something. The nuance of this word can imply both physical acts of plunder and broader calamities or hardships.
When to use 劫
Learners often confuse 劫 with similar characters, leading to incorrect usage in contexts involving theft or coercion. This character is generally used in more formal or literary contexts, so be cautious with its register. A common collocation is 劫持 (jié chí), meaning 'to hijack.'
劫 or something close to it
劫 (jié) vs 夺 (duó): use 劫 when emphasizing coercion or force, while 夺 focuses more on the act of seizing or taking away without the same connotation of violence.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 劫 with the character 夹 (jiā, to夹夹), resulting in incorrect phrases like 劫夹 (jié jiā). Remember, 劫 specifically relates to forceful actions or calamities.
Write 劫
劫
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Practice writing 劫 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 劫
劫 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
我们通常以为被拦路抢____的受害者是老年人。
We usually think of a victim of mugging as being someone elderly.
Example Sentences for 劫 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我们通常以为被拦路抢劫的受害者是老年人。
wǒ mén tōng cháng yǐ wéi bèi lán lù qiāng jié de shòu hài zhě shì lǎo nián rén。
We usually think of a victim of mugging as being someone elderly.
2
他们这是在盘剥歌迷，简直是明目张胆的打劫。
tā mén zhè shì zài pán bāo gē mí， ， jiǎn zhí shì míng mù zhāng dǎn de dǎ。
They're just ripping the fans off; it's daylight robbery.
3
他的车遭遇拦劫，随后他被4名持枪歹徒劫持。
tā de chē zāo yù lán jié， ， suí hòu tā4 bèi 4 míng chí qiāng dǎi tú。
His car was held up and he was abducted by four gunmen.
