拘

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to capture; to restrain; to constrain; to adhere rigidly to; inflexible

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

扌 meaning “hand” + 句 sound ( jù )

Components 扌句

detain · Heisig RSH #1832

fingers + 句 sentence

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
不拘一格	bù jū yī gé	not stick to one pattern
不拘小节	bù jū xiǎo jié	to not bother about trifles (idiom)
行政拘留	xíng zhèng jū liú	to incarcerate sb for a violation of administrative law, typically for 10 days or less; ad…
无拘无束	wú jū wú shù	free and unconstrained (idiom); unfettered; unbuttoned; without care or worries
不加拘束	bù jiā jū shù	unrestricted
刑事拘留	xíng shì jū liú	to detain as criminal; criminal detention
拘留所	jū liú suǒ	detention center; prison
不拘	bù jū	not stick to; not confine oneself to; whatever
行拘	xíng jū	to arrest without trial or charge (i.e. administrative detention) (abbr. for 行政拘留[xing2 zh…
放诞不拘	fàng dàn bù jū	wanton and unrestrained (idiom); dissolute
拘传	jū chuán	subpoena; to summon (for questioning)
拘礼	jū lǐ	to stand on ceremony; punctilious
拘票	jū piào	warrant (for arrest)
拘留	jū liú	to detain (as a prisoner); to keep sb in custody
拘束衣	jū shù yī	straightjacket
拘守	jū shǒu	to hold tight; to cling to; to adhere; stubborn; to detain sb as prisoner
拘检	jū jiǎn	restrained and cautious
拘泥	jū nì	to be a stickler for formalities; to rigidly adhere to; to cling to; constrained; ill at e…
刑拘	xíng jū	to detain as criminal; criminal detention; abbr. for 刑事拘留[xing2 shi4 ju1 liu2]
拘拿	jū ná	to arrest

Characters sharing the sound component 句 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
句 sound part	jù	sentence, clause, phrase, paragraph; stanza
狗	gǒu	dog
鸲	qú	mynah; Erithacus species (various)
苟	gǒu	careless, frivolous, illicit; but, if only
够	gòu	enough, adequate; to reach, to attain; to pass muster
枸	gōu	a kind of aspen found in Sichuan
驹	jū	colt; fleet, swift; surname
朐	qú	warm
昫	xù	warm
鼩	qú	shrew
劬	qú	diligent; to toil, to endeavor
岣	gǒu	a hill in Hunan
笱	gǒu	a basket trap for fish