捉

• Pinyin: zhuō
• Hanzi breakdown: 捉 = 扌(hand) + 足 (phonetic), indicating catching with hands

Meaning

To catch; to capture; to seize; to grab hold of.

Primarily used for catching animals, insects, or people (like criminals). Less commonly used than 抓 in modern speech but appears in many set phrases and idioms like 捉迷藏 (hide and seek) and 捉弄 (to tease/play tricks on).

Examples

1. 小时候我经常和邻居的孩子们在田野里捉蜻蜓、捉蝴蝶。 When I was young, I often caught dragonflies and butterflies in the fields with the neighbor's children.
2. 警方经过三个月的追踪，终于在边境捉住了这名在逃嫌犯。 After three months of tracking, the police finally captured the fugitive suspect at the border.
3. 猫咪蹲在角落里一动不动，眼睛紧盯着那只老鼠，准备随时扑上去捉住它。 The cat crouched motionless in the corner, eyes fixed on the mouse, ready to pounce and catch it at any moment.

Usage Guide

Context: animals, games, law enforcement

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们来玩捉迷藏吧。(Let's play hide and seek.)
• 警察捉住了小偷。(The police caught the thief.)

Don't Say

• 请捉住这个机会。(Use 抓住 for abstract concepts like opportunities, not 捉)

Origin & History

A phono-semantic compound with 扌 (hand) radical indicating a grabbing action, and 足 serving as the phonetic component.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal