抓 zhuā to clutch
to clutch; to grab; to seize; to catch; to arrest
How to remember 抓: 扌 hand + 爪 claw = to clutch. The toddler reaches out a hand and the kitten a tiny claw, both trying to clutch the same toy mouse.
Component breakdown
抓 = 扌 hand + 爪 claw
- 扌 hand
- 爪 claw
The toddler reaches out a hand and the kitten a tiny claw, both trying to clutch the same toy mouse.
How it is used
- 抓 is the everyday verb for physically grabbing/seizing something: 抓住 (zhuāzhù) grab hold of.
- 抓紧时间 (zhuājǐn shíjiān) - literally "grab time tightly" - is a very common phrase meaning to hurry up / make the most of limited time.
- 抓住机会 (zhuāzhù jīhuì) "seize the opportunity" extends the physical grabbing sense to abstract situations, much like English "seize".
- 警察抓了小偷 (jǐngchá zhuāle xiǎotōu) - the police caught the thief - 抓 is also the standard verb for police "catching/arresting" someone.