把握
bǎwò · HSK 3
grasp firmly
✊ 把 = hold/grasp + 握 = clutch; literally 'grasp + clutch'
把 (bǎ) means to hold or take hold of; 握 (wò) means to clutch in the fist. Stacking two near-synonyms intensifies the sense: not just touching, but firmly gripping — used for grasping opportunities, ideas, or situations.
把 — hand radical 扌 + 巴 (phonetic)
把 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning 'to grasp or hold,' while 巴 supplies the sound. Originally meaning 'to grip with the hand,' it later extended to a noun ('handle') and a grammatical particle that fronts the object of a verb.
握 — hand 扌 + 屋 wū (phonetic)
握 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning — actions done with the hand — while 屋 supplies the sound. The original sense is to grasp or hold tightly in the fist, which still matches its modern meaning.