把握
はあく · haaku · JLPT N1 · noun
appreciation
🧤 把 (hold) + 握 (grip) = hold and grip, so grasp a meaning or a chance
Both characters mean to hold or grip: 把 is take hold of, and 握 is grip in the hand. The word extends to grasping an idea, situation, or opportunity.
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.