Learn a Chinese Character - 劫

1. Character Basics

Radical: 力/lì (power radical)

Stroke Count: 7

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jié (second tone)

3. Meaning

Robbery; plunder; disaster; calamity; to rob; to seize; to kidnap; to hijack; (Buddhism) kalpa (cosmic cycle)

4. Common Words

• 抢劫 (qiǎngjié) - robbery

  这家银行昨天被抢劫了。

  This bank was robbed yesterday.

• 劫难 (jiénàn) - disaster, calamity

  这个地区经常遭受自然灾害的劫难。

  This area often suffers from natural disasters.

• 劫持 (jiéchí) - to hijack, to kidnap

  恐怖分子劫持了人质。

  The terrorists hijacked hostages.

• 劫机 (jiéjī) - airplane hijacking

  劫机事件引起了全球关注。

  The airplane hijacking incident attracted global attention.

• 打劫 (dǎjié) - to rob, to plunder

  他们在晚上打劫了一家商店。

  They robbed a store at night.

• 劫富济贫 (jiéfù jìpín) - to rob the rich and help the poor

  这个故事讲述了一个劫富济贫的英雄。

  This story tells about a hero who robs the rich and helps the poor.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 劫 has several important grammatical patterns and usages:

• As a noun:

  Used to refer to robbery, disaster, or calamity

  Example: 这场劫难造成了巨大损失。 (This disaster caused great losses.)

• As a verb:

  Used to mean 'to rob', 'to hijack', or 'to kidnap'

  Example: 有人劫了一辆出租车。 (Someone robbed a taxi.)

• In compound verbs:

  Often combined with other characters to form verbs related to robbery or seizure

  Examples: 抢劫 (rob), 劫持 (hijack), 打劫 (rob)

• In compound nouns:

  Used in nouns referring to different types of disasters or robberies

  Examples: 劫难 (disaster), 劫机 (airplane hijacking), 劫匪 (robber)

• In the structure "被劫":

  Used in the passive voice to indicate something was robbed or hijacked

  Example: 这辆车被劫走了。 (This car was stolen.)

• In idiomatic expressions:

  Used in various idioms with specific meanings

  Example: 在劫难逃 (zài jié nán táo) - destined to meet with misfortune, unavoidable calamity

劫 is often used in serious or negative contexts related to crime, violence, or natural disasters.

6. Cultural Background

The character 劫 has interesting cultural and historical significance:

• In Chinese history, there are many stories of heroes who practiced 劫富济贫 (robbing the rich to help the poor), which reflects the traditional value of social justice.
• In Buddhism, 劫 (kalpa) refers to a cosmic cycle of creation, existence, destruction, and emptiness, representing the Buddhist concept of impermanence.
• Traditional Chinese literature, such as the classic novel "Water Margin", features many characters who engage in acts of robbery against corrupt officials and wealthy oppressors.
• The concept of 劫数 (jiéshù) in Chinese culture refers to predestined calamities or misfortunes that one must endure.
• In modern Chinese society, laws strictly prohibit acts of 抢劫 (robbery), 劫持 (hijacking), and other crimes involving 劫.
• The character 劫 is often used in news reports and legal documents to describe criminal acts and disasters.

The character 劫 thus carries both historical, cultural, and religious connotations, as well as practical legal and social meanings in contemporary Chinese society.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 劫 (jié) can be broken down into two parts:

• The top part is 去 (qù), which means "to go" or "to leave".
• The bottom part is 力 (lì), the power radical, which means "power" or "strength".

To remember this character:

1. Associate the combination of 去 and 力 with the idea of using force (力) to take something away or make it go (去).
2. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order: first the horizontal line, then the vertical line and撇 of the 去 component, followed by the 力 radical.
3. Connect the character to its most common use in everyday phrases like 抢劫 (robbery) or 劫难 (disaster).
4. Use mnemonics: Imagine someone using force (力) to make something go (去) away, which represents robbery or seizure.
5. Learn the character's cultural significance by associating it with stories of 劫富济贫 or Buddhist concepts of cosmic cycles.
6. Notice how 劫 appears in compound words with related meanings, and learn these compounds together to expand your vocabulary.