挟持
xié chí · HSK 7
to seize
✊ 挟 = hand 扌+ clamp 夹, 持 = hand 扌+ hold 寺: two hands clamp and hold
Both characters carry the hand radical 扌. 挟 pairs it with 夹 (to clamp between), 持 with 寺 (to keep); together they mean grabbing a person and holding them by force — to seize or take hostage.
持 — hand 扌 + temple 寺 (phonetic)
持 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning 'to hold' or 'grasp', while 寺 supplies the sound (it once read close to chí). Originally depicting a hand holding something firmly, it broadened to mean 'maintain', 'support', or 'keep' over time.