捉 meaning and stroke order
To clutch; to grab; to capture
How to write 捉, stroke by stroke
10 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 捉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to clutch
- to grab
- to capture
How 捉 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 足 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 捉
捉 combines the hand radical 扌 with 足 (zú, foot). Picture your hand reaching out to grab someone by the foot as they try to run away, and you have 'to catch'.
捉 means to catch or seize, often a person or animal that is trying to escape. It appears in many set words like 捕捉 (bǔzhuō), 捉住 (zhuōzhù), and the game 捉迷藏 (zhuōmícáng). Example: 猫捉住了一只老鼠。(Māo zhuōzhù le yì zhī lǎoshǔ.) The cat caught a mouse.
Common mistake: Learners often read 捉 as zú because of the phonetic part 足, but it is pronounced zhuō with a first tone. Also do not confuse it with 促 (cù, to urge), which has the person radical 亻 instead of the hand 扌.
Common words with 捉
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
捉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 捉
How many strokes are in 捉?
捉 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 捉 mean?
捉 (zhuō) means to clutch; to grab; to capture. A common word with it is 捕捉 (bǔzhuō), meaning "to catch; to seize; to capture".
How do you pronounce 捉?
捉 is pronounced zhuō, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 捉?
The radical of 捉 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 捉 under this radical.
Is 捉 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 捉 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 捉 and 抓 (zhuā)?
抓 is the everyday word for grabbing anything, like 抓东西 (to grab something) or 抓小偷 (to catch a thief). 捉 focuses more on catching something alive that moves or escapes, and it shows up mostly in fixed words like 捉迷藏 and 捕捉.
What does 捉弄 (zhuōnòng) mean, and is it rude?
捉弄 means to tease someone or play a trick on them, as in 别捉弄我 (Bié zhuōnòng wǒ), Don't tease me. It is usually playful, but it can sound unkind if the teasing is meant to embarrass someone.