搴 (qiān) - To pluck & to take

搴Tone 1

qiān ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

器情

搴 · qiān

To pluck;

to take;

to capture;

to raise or lift up (as in a banner);

to win or acquire.

To pluckto taketo capture

Usage highlights

Capture the flagPluck the champion's bannerTake the leadWin honorsLift highAcquire merit

Synonyms

  • 拔— to pull out; to pluck
  • 取— to take; to get
  • 获— to obtain; to acquire

Antonyms

  • 弃— to abandon; to discard
  • 失— to lose
  • 落— to fall; to drop

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He plucked the flag from the enemy's hands (搴旗).
  • She won first prize in the competition (搴得桂冠).
  • The general captured the enemy banner (搴取敌旗).

Collocations

  • Capture the flag(搴旗)
  • Pluck the champion's banner(搴冠军旗)
  • Take the lead(搴先)
  • Win honors(搴荣誉)
  • Lift high(搴举)
  • Acquire merit(搴功)

Idioms

  • To capture the enemy's flag(搴旗斩将)
  • To pluck the moon from the ninth heaven(九天搴月)
  • To win the laurel crown(搴取桂冠)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted the action of pulling up plants or objects, later extended to military contexts of capturing flags.
  • In classical literature, often used in heroic or competitive contexts to denote winning or acquiring something valuable.
  • Appears in historical texts describing military achievements where capturing the enemy's banner was a significant accomplishment.

FAQ