zhí

hold in hand

Original meaning: 

seize

Simplified form of . Pictograph of a person with hands () bound by shackles (). Based on the original meaning "seize". The meaning later shifted to "wield power", "carry out", and "hold".

Components
扌 simplified component

  Simplified component

shoushǒu

  

hand

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

丮 iconic component

  Iconic component

  

catch

Depicts a person with two hands outstretched.

Evolution

执 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
执 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
执 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
执 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
执 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
执 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

zhí

hold in hand; keep; carry out; to execute (a plan); to grasp

Most common words with 执
Freq.
Word
Meaning

执行

to implement

执法

to enforce a law

执照

license

争执

to dispute

to grasp

Component uses

Meaning component in 3 characters (0 verified)

Sound component in 7 characters (1 verified)

Simplified component in 1 character (1 verified)

Statistics

HSK level 5

Appears in 35.2875% of movies

1094th most common character in movies

763rd most common character in books

Miscellaneous

Strokes

6

Traditional

Unicode

U+6267


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