掠

lvè

京 + 扌

Definitions

lvè to take over by force; to rob; to plunder; to brush over; to skim; to sweep

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 京 represents the sound.

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 京

About

The character 掠 is a phono-semantic compound, with the semantic component 扌 (hand) and the phonetic component 京. Historically, it denoted taking by force, including plundering, pillaging, and robbing people of their possessions or freedom. Beyond this violent seizure, the character also acquired a secondary sense of a swift, light movement, describing actions like brushing past, sweeping across, or skimming over a surface, a motion that is quick and involves only superficial contact.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

敌人掠夺村庄。

Dí rén lüè duó cūn zhuāng.

The enemy plundered the village.

风暴掠过了城市。

Fēng bào lüè guò le chéng shì.

The storm swept over the city.

鹰从空中掠过地面。

Yīng cóng kōng zhōng lüè guò dì miàn.

The eagle swept over the ground from the sky.

他掠取了别人的成果。

Tā lüè qǔ le bié rén de chéng guǒ.

He seized others' achievements.

小偷试图掠夺商店的货物。

Xiǎo tōu shì tú lüè duó shāng diàn de huò wù.

The thief attempted to loot the store's goods.

她的笑容掠过我的脑海。

Tā de xiào róng lüè guò wǒ de nǎo hǎi.

Her smile flashed through my mind.

侵略者掠夺资源，破坏环境。

Qīn lüè zhě lüè duó zī yuán, pò huài huán jìng.

The invaders plundered resources and destroyed the environment.

历史记载了那些掠夺成性的帝国的衰亡。

Lì shǐ jì zǎi le nà xiē lüè duó chéng xìng de dì guó de shuāi wáng.

History records the decline of those plunder-prone empires.

Related Characters

Component: 京

Component: 扌

掠