揪 (jiū) - To seize & to grab

揪Tone 1

jiū ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

傑君

揪 · jiū

To seize;

to grab;

to clutch;

to pull at something with force.

To seizeto grabto clutch

Usage highlights

To grab holdTo pull outTo tug at heartstringsTo clutch one's hairTo seize a problemTo wrestle with

Synonyms

  • 抓— to grab; to catch
  • 拉— to pull
  • 扯— to tug; to pull
  • 拽— to pull; to drag

Antonyms

  • 放— to release; to let go
  • 松— to loosen; to relax

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He grabbed my arm tightly (揪住我的胳膊).
  • The police seized the suspect (揪出嫌疑人).
  • She pulled at her own hair in frustration (揪自己的头发).
  • The child tugged at his mother's clothes (揪着妈妈的衣服).

Collocations

  • To grab hold(揪住)
  • To pull out(揪出)
  • To tug at heartstrings(揪心)
  • To clutch one's hair(揪头发)
  • To seize a problem(揪问题)
  • To wrestle with(揪打)

Idioms

  • Heart-wrenching(揪心扒肝)
  • To nitpick and find fault(揪辫子)
  • To drag someone into a mess(揪小辫子)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 揪 often conveys a sense of physical force or emotional tension.
  • In colloquial use, '揪心' describes a state of anxiety or worry, as if one's heart is being gripped.
  • The hand radical (扌) emphasizes the action is performed with the hands.

FAQ