抓
zhuā · HSK 3
grab
✋ hand 扌 + 爪 claw — hand-claw means grab or clutch
扌 is the hand radical and 爪 means claw or talon, so 抓 literally combines hand + claw to mean grab, snatch, or clutch. The zhuā sound also echoes a sudden snatching motion.
抓 — hand radical 扌 + 爪 (claw)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning—an action done with the hand—while 爪 (claw) supplies both sound and sense, evoking fingers gripping like claws. Together they convey the idea of grabbing, snatching, or scratching.