捉

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to clutch; to grab; to capture

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

扌 meaning “hand” + 足 sound ( zú )

Components 扌足

catch · Heisig RSH #2317

fingers + 足 lower leg

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

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

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
不管白猫黑猫，捉住老鼠就是好猫	bù guǎn bái māo hēi māo , zhuō zhù lǎo shǔ jiù shì hǎo māo	it doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black; as long as it catches mice it's a good …
捉摸不定	zhuō mō bù dìng	(idiom) unpredictable; elusive; hard to pin down
关门捉贼	guān mén zhuō zéi	to catch a thief by closing his escape route (idiom)
闭塞眼睛捉麻雀	bì sè yǎn jīng zhuō má què	lit. to catch sparrows blindfolded (idiom); fig. to act blindly
难以捉摸	nán yǐ zhuō mō	elusive; hard to pin down; enigmatic
捕风捉影	bǔ fēng zhuō yǐng	lit. chasing the wind and clutching at shadows (idiom); fig. groundless accusations; to ac…
捉拿归案	zhuō ná guī àn	to bring to justice
捉迷藏	zhuō mí cáng	to play hide-and-seek
捉对	zhuō duì	to pair off (for a confrontation)
活捉	huó zhuō	to capture alive
捉捕器	zhuō bǔ qì	trap (for animals etc)
捉取	zhuō qǔ	to capture
捉住	zhuō zhù	to catch; to grapple with; to hold onto
捉急	zhuō jí	humorous pronunciation of 著急\|着急[zhao2 ji2]
捉拿	zhuō ná	to arrest; to catch a criminal
捉弄	zhuō nòng	to tease
捉获	zhuō huò	to capture
捉奸	zhuō jiān	to catch a couple in the act (adultery, illicit sexual relations)
贼喊捉贼	zéi hǎn zhuō zéi	lit. a thief crying "Stop the thief!" (idiom); fig. to accuse sb of a theft and try to sne…
捉摸	zhuō mō	to fathom; to make sense of; to grasp

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

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
足 sound part	zú	foot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
蹙	cù	to frown, to knit the brows; distressed
躅	zhú	to walk carefully; to hesitate, to falter
浞	zhuó	to soak, to steep in water