追逐
zhuīzhú · HSK 7
pursue
🏃 追逐 = 追 (chase) + 逐 (chase/drive-out); two chase characters stacked for relentless pursuit
Both 追 and 逐 independently mean to chase, so 追逐 doubles down on the idea of pursuit. 逐 also carries a sense of driving out or hounding, giving 追逐 the feel of an active, ongoing chase rather than a single grab.
追 — 辶 (walk) + 𠂤 (small mound/heap)
Originally a semantic-phonetic compound: 辶 ('walk/movement') gives the meaning of going after something, while 𠂤 supplied the ancient sound. Early bronze inscriptions show it meaning to chase or pursue an enemy. The modern senses — 'pursue,' 'chase after,' 'retroactively' — all extend from this original idea of following in motion.