Chinese Character: 掠
1. Character Basics
Radical: 扌 (shǒu, hand radical)
Stroke Count: 11
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: lüè (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
To plunder, to loot, to掠过, to sweep past
4. Common Words
- 掠夺 (lüèduó) - to plunder, to loot
- 掠过 (lüèguò) - to sweep past, to glide over
- 掠取 (lüèqǔ) - to seize, to grab
- 劫掠 (jiélüè) - to plunder, to pillage
- 掠影 (lüèyǐng) - a quick view, a glimpse
- 掠夺者 (lüèduózhě) - plunderer, looter
- 抢掠 (qiǎnglüè) - to rob and plunder
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "掠" is primarily used as a verb meaning to plunder, loot, or sweep past. It can be used in several ways:
1. As a transitive verb:
- 侵略者掠夺了大量财宝。 (Qīnlüèzhě lüèduóle dàliàng cáibǎo.) - The invaders plundered a lot of treasure.
- 他掠过我的肩膀看了一眼。 (Tā lüèguò wǒ de jiānbǎng kànle yīyǎn.) - He glanced over my shoulder.
2. In compound verbs:
- Often combined with other characters to form verbs describing quick or forceful actions, such as 掠过 (lüèguò, to sweep past) and 掠取 (lüèqǔ, to seize).
3. In idioms and set phrases:
- 掠人之美 (lüè rén zhī měi) - to take credit for others' achievements
- 掠影浮光 (lüèyǐng-fúguāng) - a fleeting glimpse, superficial understanding
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the character "掠" has historical associations with warfare and plundering. Throughout Chinese history, periods of conflict often involved the plundering of cities and villages, and this character appears in many historical texts describing such events. Additionally, the character is used in literary contexts to describe quick, fleeting movements, such as a bird掠过 the sky or a glance掠过 one's face. In modern usage, "掠" is often used in both literal and figurative senses, from describing physical actions like a breeze掠过 to more abstract concepts like掠过 one's mind.
7. Example Sentence
Chinese: 一只鸟掠过了天空。
Pinyin: Yī zhī niǎo lüèguòle tiānkōng.
English: A bird swept across the sky.
8. Memory Tips
The character "掠" consists of 扌 (shǒu, hand radical) on the left and 京 (jīng) on the right. You can remember this character by associating the left part "扌" with hand actions, and the right part "京" (which means capital city) with a place that might be plundered. Together, they can be thought of as "using hands to plunder a city" or "a hand making a quick movement." Alternatively, visualize a hand quickly sweeping past something, which captures the essence of the character's meaning.