揪

• Pinyin: jiū
• Hanzi breakdown: 揪 = 扌(hand) + 秋 (autumn, phonetic) — to grab with the hand

Meaning

To grab; to seize; to clutch (tightly, often with fingers or fist).

Describes the action of grabbing something firmly with the fingers — especially hair, collars, or ears. Often conveys aggression, urgency, or intensity. Figuratively, 心被揪住 (heart gripped tight) describes anxiety or emotional distress. A vivid, physical verb with strong tactile imagery.

Examples

1. 他一把揪住逃跑嫌疑人的衣领，将其制服在地。 He grabbed the fleeing suspect by the collar and subdued him to the ground.
2. 听到孩子半夜发高烧的消息，她的心被紧紧揪住，立刻跑向房间。 When she heard that the child had a high fever in the middle of the night, her heart clenched tight and she immediately ran to the room.
3. 老师轻轻揪了一下他的耳朵，让他把注意力拉回到课堂上。 The teacher lightly tweaked his ear to bring his attention back to the lesson.

Usage Guide

Context: physical action, emotion, narrative

Tone: vivid and direct

Do Say

• 她揪住他的袖子不让他走。(She grabbed his sleeve and wouldn't let him leave.)
• 这个情节真的揪心，看得人眼泪直流。(This plot point is truly heart-wrenching — it had viewers in tears.)

Don't Say

• 请揪一下这个文件。(揪 is a physical action verb — it doesn't apply to documents or abstract objects; use 取 or 拿)

Origin & History

A pictophonetic character: 扌(hand radical) + 秋 (autumn, phonetic). The hand radical indicates a grasping action. The tactile vividness of the character has made it a preferred verb for sudden, firm grabbing in modern Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal