抢夺

• Pinyin: qiǎng duó
• Hanzi breakdown: 抢 = 扌(hand radical) + 仓 (phonetic — to grab with the hand); 夺 = 大 + 寸 (a person using force to take — to seize)

Meaning

To seize or snatch something by force; to grab and take away violently, depriving someone of their possessions through physical force.

More violent than 争夺 (to compete for/fight over), which implies a contest. 抢夺 implies unilateral physical force against a victim. Used in legal and journalistic contexts to describe violent theft or the seizure of territory and resources during conflict.

Examples

1. 歹徒在公共场所抢夺行人的手机，被附近市民合力制伏，扭送派出所。 A criminal snatched a passerby’s phone in a public place, but nearby residents worked together to subdue him and hand him over to the police station.
2. 军阀之间相互抢夺资源和地盘，导致这片地区陷入长期动乱，民不聊生。 Warlords fought to seize resources and territory from one another, plunging the region into prolonged chaos and leaving people unable to make a living.
3. 两名骑摩托车的男子抢夺了她手中的背包，随后迅速驶离现场逃窜。 Two men on a motorcycle grabbed the bag from her hands and then sped away from the scene.

Usage Guide

Context: law, news, history

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 案发录像显示，嫌疑人趁受害者不注意时猛地抢夺其背包，随后迅速融入人群逃窜，整个过程不足十秒。(The surveillance footage showed that the suspect suddenly snatched the victim's backpack while she was off guard, before quickly blending into the crowd to escape — the entire process took less than ten seconds.)
• 在资源匮乏的战乱地区，武装团伙相互抢夺粮食与燃料，严重阻碍了人道主义援助物资抵达需要帮助的平民手中。(In war-torn areas with scarce resources, armed factions fought each other to seize food and fuel, seriously hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need.)

Don't Say

• 他们在抢夺市场份额 — 抢夺 implies violent physical seizure; for competitive business contexts use 争夺 (compete for/fight over) or 抢占 (race to capture — as in market share)

Origin & History

抢 (to snatch/grab) + 夺 (to seize/take by force)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal