Chinese word

挟持

Pronunciation

Pinyinxié chí

Meaning

  • verbtake hostage

Example

恐怖分子挟持了机场的一架飞机。kǒng bù fèn zi xié chí le jī chǎng de yí jià fēi jī

Terrorists took a plane at the airport hostage.

Illustration for 挟持 (take hostage)

More examples

武装分子在边境小镇挟持了几名平民作为人质。wǔ zhuāng fèn zǐ zài biān jìng xiǎo zhèn xié chí le jǐ míng píng mín zuò wéi rén zhì

Armed militants took several civilians hostage in a border town.

Core concept

Someone is seized and held under force so that another person can be pressured, with the same control extending to a hijacked vehicle.

Common phrases

  • 挟持人质xié chí rén zhì

    take hostages

  • 被挟持bèi xié chí

    be held hostage

Similar words

绑架bǎng jià: Abducting and holding a person unlawfully in order to demand money or compliance.
劫持jié chí: Taking control of a vehicle, location, or person by force to carry out a goal.
胁持xié chí: Holding someone against their will through threats so that demands can be enforced.

Definition in Chinese

以武力或威胁暂时控制某人，使其成为可用于胁迫或谈判的人质。yǐ wǔ lì huò wēi xié zàn shí kòng zhì mǒu rén shǐ qí chéng wéi kě yòng yú xié pò huò tán pàn de rén zhì

Word origin

挟持 (xiéchí, "to take hostage") is formed from 挟 (xié, "to clamp or hold between") + 持 (chí, "to hold"), so it pictures a person caught in a grip and kept there for coercion.

Usage tips

  • This is a formal word for grave incidents rather than a playful way to describe holding someone back, making its register important in everyday conversation.

Other meanings

  • hijackverb
  • abductverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 挟持事件xié chí shì jiànhostage-taking incidentnoun
  • 挟持犯xié chí fànhostage takernoun

Word lists with this word