劫 jié to take by force
to take by force; to coerce; disaster; misfortune; to rob; calamity
How to remember 劫: 去 go + 力 power = to take by force. The bully blocks the path so the boy cannot go home and uses his power to show what it means to take by force.
Component breakdown
劫 = 去 go + 力 power
- 去 go
- 土 earth
- 厶 cocoon
- 力 power
The bully blocks the path so the boy cannot go home and uses his power to show what it means to take by force.
How it is used
- To rob by force / hijack - 抢劫 (qiǎngjié) to rob, 劫持 (jiéchí) to hijack/hold hostage, 打劫 (dǎjié) to hold up.
- Also a catastrophe/doom, from the Buddhist kalpa - 浩劫 (hàojié) a catastrophe, 劫难 (jiénàn) calamity, 在劫难逃 doomed and unable to escape fate.
- Two senses linked by disaster: violent robbery, and cosmic misfortune.