虜 (lǔ) - captive, prisoner of war & to capture

虜Tone 3

lǔ ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

虜 · lǔ

captive, prisoner of war;

to capture;

to take prisoner;

also used historically to refer to northern barbarians or invaders.

captive, prisoner of warto captureto take prisoner

Usage highlights

captiveto captureenemy captivenorthern invadersprisoner of warto take captive

Synonyms

  • 俘— captive, prisoner of war
  • 囚— prisoner, convict
  • 擒— to capture, catch

Antonyms

  • 釋— to release, set free
  • 放— to let go, release

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The army captured many enemy soldiers (俘虜).
  • He was taken prisoner during the war (被虜).
  • This term was historically used for northern tribes (胡虜).
  • The general led a campaign against the invaders (征虜).

Collocations

  • captive(俘虜)
  • to capture(虜獲)
  • enemy captive(敵虜)
  • northern invaders(胡虜)
  • prisoner of war(戰虜)
  • to take captive(虜掠)

Idioms

  • Like catching something from a bag(甕中捉鱉)
  • To capture the enemy leader(擒賊擒王)
  • To sweep away the northern barbarians(掃蕩胡虜)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used as a derogatory term for northern nomadic peoples, particularly during periods of conflict between Han Chinese and northern tribes.
  • In modern usage, primarily appears in historical contexts and literature rather than contemporary speech.
  • The character carries strong connotations of military conquest and subjugation.

FAQ