夺 meaning and stroke order
To seize; to take away forcibly; to wrest control of
How to write 夺, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 夺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to seize
- to take away forcibly
- to wrest control of
- to compete or strive for
- to force one's way through
- to leave out
How 夺 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man 大 grasping something 寸.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 夺
夺 is a person 大 (dà, big man) on top of 寸 (cùn), which looks like a hand grasping. Picture a big man reaching out with his hand to snatch something away by force.
夺 usually appears in two-character words rather than alone, such as 夺取 (duóqǔ, to seize), 争夺 (zhēngduó, to fight over) and 夺冠 (duóguàn, to win a championship). It covers both literal grabbing and winning a contest. Example: 他们队去年夺冠了。(Tāmen duì qùnián duóguàn le.) Their team won the championship last year.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 夺 (duó) with 夸 (kuā, to praise), which also has 大 on top but 亏 below instead of 寸. Also remember the tone is second tone duó, not fourth tone like 多 is first tone duō.
Common words with 夺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 夺取 | duóqǔ | to seize; to capture | HSK 6 |
| 争夺 | zhēngduó | to fight over; to contest | HSK 6 |
| 剥夺 | bōduó | to deprive; to expropriate | HSK 7-9 |
| 掠夺 | lüèduó | to plunder; to rob | HSK 7-9 |
| 夺冠 | duóguàn | to seize the crown; fig. to win a championship | HSK 7-9 |
| 抢夺 | qiǎngduó | to plunder; to pillage | HSK 7-9 |
| 夺魁 | duókuí | to win the championship; to take first place | HSK 7-9 |
| 争分夺秒 | zhēngfēn-duómiǎo | lit. fight minutes, snatch seconds (idiom); a race against time; making every second count | HSK 7-9 |
| 夺走 | duózǒu | to snatch away | |
| 夺回 | duóhuí | to take back (forcibly); to recapture; to win back | |
| 夺得 | duódé | to take (after a struggle); to wrest | |
| 掠夺者 | lüèduózhě | robber; plunderer |
夺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 夺
How many strokes are in 夺?
夺 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 夺 mean?
夺 (duó) means to seize; to take away forcibly; to wrest control of. A common word with it is 夺取 (duóqǔ), meaning "to seize; to capture".
How do you pronounce 夺?
夺 is pronounced duó, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 夺?
The radical of 夺 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 夺 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 夺?
The traditional form of 夺 is 奪. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 夺 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 夺 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 夺 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 夺 and 抢?
抢 (qiǎng) is the everyday word for grabbing or robbing, as in 抢东西 (qiǎng dōngxi). 夺 sounds more formal or written and often appears in compounds like 夺取 and 剥夺. They combine in 抢夺 (qiǎngduó), to snatch or plunder.
How is 夺 used in a positive sense?
In sports and competitions 夺 means to win, as in 夺冠 (duóguàn) and 夺魁 (duókuí), both meaning to take first place. The idiom 争分夺秒 (zhēngfēn-duómiǎo) means making every second count.