Chinese word

握

Pronunciation

Pinyinwò

Meaning

  • verbhold

Example

他握紧了绳子的一端。tā wò jǐn le shéng zi de yì duān

He held one end of the rope tightly.

Illustration for 握 (hold)

More examples

她紧紧握住了方向盘。tā jín jǐn wò zhù le fāng xiàng pán

She gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Core concept

A hand closes around something and keeps it from slipping or being released.

Common phrases

  • 握住wò zhù

    hold tight

  • 握紧wò jǐn

    clench

Similar words

拿ná: Holding something in the hand so it can be moved or used.
抓zhuā: Seizing something quickly with the hand or fingers and pressing it down.
握住wò zhù: Holding something in a firm grasp so it cannot be let go.
握紧wò jǐn: Clenching around something with force to stop it from moving.

Definition in Chinese

用手或手指把东西抓住，常带有用力保持或不放开的意味。yòng shǒu huò shóu zhǐ bǎ dōng xī zhuā zhù cháng dài yǒu yòng lì bǎo chí huò bú fàng kāi de yì wèi

Word origin

握 (wò, "hold") is formed from 扌 (shǒu, "hand") + 屋 (wū, "room"), with the first component showing a hand action and the second mainly indicating the sound.

Usage tips

  • The strength of the grip is part of the usual meaning, making this verb less natural for merely touching or loosely carrying an object.

Other meanings

  • grabverb
  • clenchverb

Opposites

  • 放开fàng kāilet goverb
  • 松开sōng kāiloosenverb

Related words

Word lists with this word