(jié) - to rob, plunder & to coerce

Tone 2

jié | 7 strokes | radical: 力

· jié

to rob, plunder;

to coerce;

calamity, disaster;

a kalpa (Buddhist concept of cosmic cycle)

to rob, plunderto coercecalamity, disaster

Usage highlights

robberyhijackingdisaster, calamityto plunderbanditescape disaster

Synonyms

  • to rob, snatch
  • to seize, take by force
  • disaster, calamity

Antonyms

  • to save, rescue
  • to help, assist
  • blessing, good fortune

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The bank was robbed (抢劫).
  • They hijacked the plane (劫机).
  • This is a national calamity (国劫).
  • Buddhism speaks of kalpas (劫) as cosmic cycles.

Collocations

  • robbery(抢劫)
  • hijacking(劫持)
  • disaster, calamity(劫难)
  • to plunder(劫掠)
  • bandit(劫匪)
  • escape disaster(逃劫)

Idioms

  • Surviving a great calamity(劫后余生)
  • In calamity and misfortune(在劫难逃)
  • Rob the rich to help the poor(劫富济贫)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Buddhism, 'kalpa' refers to an immense period of time between the creation and recreation of a world.
  • Historically used to describe banditry and plundering, reflecting social instability.
  • In traditional Chinese cosmology, 'jie' represents unavoidable disasters or fateful encounters.

FAQ