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劫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
劫
jié
to take by force, to coerce; disaster; misfortune
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)jie 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
By ear
Play it, then pick what 劫 means.
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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How well do you know 劫?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 劫 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
劫 = 力 + 去. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 劫
IDS Structure⿰去力
劫Full character
=
去qu4
left
力Li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part 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
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
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。
wǒmen tōngcháng yǐwéi bèi lán lù qiǎngjié de shòuhài zhě shì lǎonián rén。
We usually think of a victim of mugging as being someone elderly.
