擒
capture, a captive
Strokes16
Readings
On'yomi
- キン
Kun'yomi
- とら.える
- とりこ
Meaning
擒 centers on seizing and holding a person or animal: capturing someone and making them a captive.
Most common words using 擒
- 生擒せいきん
capturing something alive
Study
Etymology
擒 combines 扌 (hand) with 禽, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of capturing or a captive. The exact historical development of 禽 is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The hand radical 扌 beside 禽 suggests a hand seizing a bird-like creature: capturing it and making it a captive.
Reading mnemonic
For キン, imagine a captor's hand clamping down with a sharp 'kin' sound, like a metal trap snapping shut: kin -> キン, and the captive is caught.