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攫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
攫juéto snatch, to sieze, to robzg, 23 strokes, radical 扌, rank #38163, Very Hard
攫juéto seizeunknown, 23 strokes, radical 扌, rank #38163, Very Hard
攫juéto grabunknown, 23 strokes, radical 扌, rank #38163, Very Hard
jué(jue2) T2
  1. 1to snatch, to sieze, to rob
  2. 2to seize
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March 24, 2026

攫jué(jue2)

The character 攫 (jué) means to snatch or seize something forcefully. It is commonly used in contexts involving theft or grabbing something quickly, often with a sense of urgency or aggression. The character can convey a more violent or forceful action compared to similar words like 拿 (ná), which simply means 'to take.'

Strokes23Radical扌Frequency#38163DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature and folklore, the idea of snatching or seizing often appears in heroic tales where characters must quickly grab opportunities or defend against thieves, reflecting cultural themes of urgency and moral dilemmas.

Memory Tip

Imagine a fierce bird of prey, its sharp claws (the radical 攵, meaning 'to strike') extending out as it swoops down to snatch its unsuspecting prey. The sound 'jué' resembles the quick, urgent call of this bird as it grabs its meal, making the character's meaning memorable.

Meanings of 攫

jué(jue2)
1to snatch, to sieze, to rob
2to seize
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 攫

攫Simplified
23Strokes
扌Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 攫

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Podcast: 攫

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AI Study Notes for 攫

Quick Contrast

拿 (ná) - use 攫 (jué) when emphasizing a forceful or aggressive action of seizing, while 拿 (ná) is more neutral and simply refers to taking.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 攫 with similar verbs like 抓 (zhuā), which means 'to catch' but doesn’t carry the same connotation of force. This word is generally used in more dramatic or violent contexts, so it can be considered informal. Be cautious with the tone: using it in a lighthearted context may seem inappropriate.

HSK Study Tips

While 攫 is not currently included in the HSK levels, it connects with other action verbs at the advanced level. Students should focus on recognizing the emotional weight of verbs that indicate forceful actions, as they can greatly enhance expressive language skills.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 攫 in contexts that are not forceful enough, such as saying '我想要攫这个' (I want to grab this) instead of using 拿 (ná). It's important to choose the verb that best fits the intensity of the action.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 攫

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Etymology of 攫

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
+
Phonetic (sound)矍
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 攫

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half矍 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhand
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 攫? 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 攫?

Decomposition of 攫

IDS Structure⿰扌矍
攫Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
矍Jue2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 攫?

How to say to snatch, to sieze, to rob in Chinese

“to snatch, to sieze, to rob” in Chinese is攫jué

The character 攫 (jué) means to snatch or seize something forcefully. It is commonly used in contexts involving theft or grabbing something quickly, often with a sense of urgency or aggression. The character can convey a more violent or forceful action compared to similar words like 拿 (ná), which simply means 'to take.'

When to use 攫

Learners often confuse 攫 with similar verbs like 抓 (zhuā), which means 'to catch' but doesn’t carry the same connotation of force. This word is generally used in more dramatic or violent contexts, so it can be considered informal. Be cautious with the tone: using it in a lighthearted context may seem inappropriate.

攫 or something close to it

拿 (ná) - use 攫 (jué) when emphasizing a forceful or aggressive action of seizing, while 拿 (ná) is more neutral and simply refers to taking.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 攫 in contexts that are not forceful enough, such as saying '我想要攫这个' (I want to grab this) instead of using 拿 (ná). It's important to choose the verb that best fits the intensity of the action.

Write 攫

攫

Practice writing 攫 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 攫

Words Containing This Character3
攫取to plunder
攫juéto seize
攫夺to seize攫奪
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 攫取 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 攫

While both can mean 'to grab' or 'to catch,' 攫 implies a more forceful or aggressive action, often associated with theft, whereas 抓 is more neutral and can refer to catching something gently.

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