拘

jū

句 + 扌

Definitions

jū (verb) to restrain; to constrain

jū (verb,adjective) to adhere rigidly to; inflexible

Etymology

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

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 句

About

The character 拘 is a phonosemantic compound consisting of the hand radical 扌 on the left, indicating a manual action or the use of physical force, and the phonetic component 句 on the right, which as an independent character means 'sentence' or 'phrase.' The core meaning is to physically restrain, arrest, or detain a person, the hand radical pointing to the act of seizing or gripping. From this legal and physical context, the meaning extended metaphorically to abstract restrictions: being bound by rigid rules, petty formalities, or inflexible thinking. It can describe a person who is stubbornly inflexible, mentally constrained by trivial protocols, and unable to act in a free, natural manner.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

不要拘束自己。

Bù yào jūshù zìjǐ.

Don't restrain yourself.

他被警察拘留了。

Tā bèi jǐngchá jūliú le.

He was detained by the police.

她拘谨地笑了笑。

Tā jūjǐn de xiào le xiào.

She smiled reservedly.

别拘泥于旧观念。

Bié jūnì yú jiù guānniàn.

Don't stick to old ideas.

他的拘捕令已经签发。

Tā de jūbǔ lìng yǐjīng qiānfā.

His arrest warrant has been issued.

在正式场合，他显得很拘束。

Zài zhèngshì chǎnghé, tā xiǎnde hěn jūshù.

In formal occasions, he appears very restrained.

法律对拘留时间有严格规定。

Fǎlǜ duì jūliú shíjiān yǒu yángé guīdìng.

The law has strict regulations on detention time.

由于证据不足，警方无法拘捕嫌疑人。

Yóuyú zhèngjù bùzú, jǐngfāng wúfǎ jūbǔ xiányírén.

Due to insufficient evidence, the police cannot arrest the suspect.

Related Characters

Component: 句

Component: 扌

拘