握 wò to grasp
to grasp; to hold; to take by the hand
How to remember 握: 扌 hand + 屋 house = to grasp. The nervous boy reaches for a hand outside the big house where the birthday party is, and his mum bends down to grasp it.
Component breakdown
握 = 扌 hand + 屋 house
- 扌 hand
- 屋 house
- 尸 corpse
- 至 until
The nervous boy reaches for a hand outside the big house where the birthday party is, and his mum bends down to grasp it.
How it is used
- 握手 wòshǒu "to shake hands" is standard greeting vocabulary.
- 把握 bǎwò "grasp/confidence" is the key abstract use: 有把握 yǒu bǎwò "to be confident/sure of something."
- 掌握 zhǎngwò overlaps with 握 for mastery - plain 握 is the physical grip, 把握/掌握 extend it to abstract control or certainty.
Words with 握
Example sentences
- 他掌握了汉语语法。 Tā zhǎngwòle Hànyǔ yǔfǎ.He has mastered Chinese grammar.