奪 meaning and stroke order
To rob, to snatch, to take by force
How to write 奪, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 奪
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 奪 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man 大 grasping 寸 a bird 隹.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 奪
A man 大 on top, a bird 隹 in the middle, and a hand 寸 at the bottom: the man grabs the bird with his hand and takes it. That is 奪 (duó), to snatch or seize.
奪 (duó) means taking something by force, but it is also very common for winning or competing, as in 奪冠 (duóguàn) to win a championship and 爭奪 (zhēngduó) to fight over. Example: 他們奪得了冠軍。(Tāmen duódé le guànjūn.) They won the championship.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 奪 with 奮 (fèn, to exert oneself), which has the same 大 and 隹 on top but 田 at the bottom instead of 寸. Also keep the second tone in duó and do not mix it up with 多 (duō, many).
Common words with 奪
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 奪取 | duóqǔ | to seize; to capture | HSK 6 |
| 爭奪 | zhēngduó | to fight over; to contest | HSK 6 |
| 剝奪 | bōduó | to deprive; to expropriate | HSK 7-9 |
| 掠奪 | lüèduó | to plunder; to rob | HSK 7-9 |
| 奪冠 | duóguàn | to seize the crown; fig. to win a championship | HSK 7-9 |
| 搶奪 | qiǎngduó | to plunder; to pillage | HSK 7-9 |
| 奪魁 | duókuí | to win the championship; to take first place | HSK 7-9 |
| 爭分奪秒 | zhēngfēn-duómiǎo | lit. fight minutes, snatch seconds (idiom); a race against time; making every second count | HSK 7-9 |
| 奪走 | duózǒu | to snatch away | |
| 奪回 | duóhuí | to take back (forcibly); to recapture; to win back | |
| 奪得 | duódé | to take (after a struggle); to wrest | |
| 掠奪者 | lüèduózhě | robber; plunderer |
Questions about 奪
How many strokes are in 奪?
奪 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 奪 mean?
奪 (duó) means to rob, to snatch, to take by force. A common word with it is 夺取 (duóqǔ), meaning "to seize; to capture".
How do you pronounce 奪?
奪 is pronounced duó, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 奪?
The radical of 奪 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 奪 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 奪?
奪 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 夺, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 奪 and 搶?
搶 (qiǎng) is more everyday and physical, like snatching a bag or rushing to grab something. 奪 (duó) sounds more formal and is used for seizing power, titles, rights, or territory, as in 奪取政權 (duóqǔ zhèngquán) to seize political power.
Does 奪 always mean stealing something bad?
No. It often has a neutral or positive sense of striving to win, as in 奪魁 (duókuí) to take first place or 爭分奪秒 (zhēngfēn-duómiǎo) making every second count. Words like 掠奪 (lüèduó) and 剝奪 (bōduó) carry the negative sense of robbing or depriving.