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搶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
搶qiǎngurgent, rushed; to rob, to plunderx, 13 strokes, radical 扌, rank #57411, Very Hard
qiǎng(qiang3) T3
  1. 1urgent, rushed; to rob, to plunder
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March 24, 2026

搶qiǎng(qiang3)

The character 搶 (qiǎng) primarily means 'to rob' or 'to seize,' often in a forceful or urgent manner. It can also imply urgency or a rush, such as in contexts where someone is competing to get something quickly. This word is commonly used in discussions about crime, competition, or situations requiring prompt action.

Strokes13Radical扌Frequency#57411DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of '抢' often appears in the context of shopping festivals, where consumers rush to buy discounted items, illustrating both urgency and competition.

Memory Tip

Imagine a thief (representing the radical 扌, meaning 'hand') rushing to grab a prized possession from a store. The urgency of the action reflects the pronunciation 'qiǎng', which sounds like 'clang' as the thief hastily makes noise while seizing the item.

Meanings of 搶

qiǎng(qiang3)
1urgent, rushed; to rob, to plunder
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 搶

搶Simplified
13Strokes
扌Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 搶

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AI Study Notes for 搶

Quick Contrast

抢 (qiǎng) vs 夺 (duó) — use 搶 (qiǎng) when emphasizing a forceful or urgent action, while 夺 (duó) focuses more on winning or taking possession.

Usage Notes

Be careful with the tone; 搶 (qiǎng) has a falling tone, which is crucial for correct pronunciation. Common collocations include 搶劫 (qiǎngjié, to rob) and 搶購 (qiǎnggòu, to rush to buy). Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words that may have different meanings.

HSK Study Tips

Although it is not an HSK level word, 搶 is useful to know as it shares the radical 扌 with other action-oriented characters. Students should focus on the context in which it is used, particularly in verbs related to competition or urgency.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 搶 with similar characters like 强 (qiáng, strong), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我很抢' (Wǒ hěn qiǎng) instead of '我很强' (Wǒ hěn qiáng) to mean 'I am strong' is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 搶

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Etymology of 搶

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 仓 represents the sound. Simplified form of 搶.

Memory Hint

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
+
Phonetic (sound)倉
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

搶 = 扌 + 倉. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 搶

IDS Structure⿰扌倉
搶Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
倉cang1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 搶?

How to say urgent, rushed; to rob, to plunder in Chinese

“urgent, rushed; to rob, to plunder” in Chinese is搶qiǎng

The character 搶 (qiǎng) primarily means 'to rob' or 'to seize,' often in a forceful or urgent manner. It can also imply urgency or a rush, such as in contexts where someone is competing to get something quickly. This word is commonly used in discussions about crime, competition, or situations requiring prompt action.

When to use 搶

Be careful with the tone; 搶 (qiǎng) has a falling tone, which is crucial for correct pronunciation. Common collocations include 搶劫 (qiǎngjié, to rob) and 搶購 (qiǎnggòu, to rush to buy). Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words that may have different meanings.

搶 or something close to it

抢 (qiǎng) vs 夺 (duó) — use 搶 (qiǎng) when emphasizing a forceful or urgent action, while 夺 (duó) focuses more on winning or taking possession.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 搶 with similar characters like 强 (qiáng, strong), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我很抢' (Wǒ hěn qiǎng) instead of '我很强' (Wǒ hěn qiáng) to mean 'I am strong' is incorrect.

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搶

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Word Family of 搶

Words Containing This Character20
抢qiǎngto rush搶
抢劫qiǎngjiéto rob搶劫
抢救qiǎngjiùto rescue搶救
抢走to snatch (esp related to a robbery)搶走
抢购to buy frenetically搶購
抢先to forestall搶先
抢险emergency (measures)搶險
抢夺qiǎngduóto plunder搶奪
抢修rush repairs搶修
抢占to seize (the strategic high ground)搶佔
抢手(of goods) popular搶手
争抢to fight over爭搶
拼抢to fight desperately (at the risk of one's life)拼搶
抢眼qiǎngyǎneye-catching搶眼
抢掠to loot搶掠
抢滩to seize a beachhead搶灘
哄抢looting哄搶
抢手货a best-seller搶手貨
抢答to compete to be the first to answer a question (as on a quiz show)搶答
抢镜头to grab the limelight搶鏡頭
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 搶

What does 抢 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 搶

抢 (qiǎng) means to seize or grab, while 抢劫 (qiǎngjié) specifically refers to robbery, usually involving violence.

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