把 bǎ / bà — (a measure word); (marker for direct-object); to hold; to contain; to grasp; to take hold of
请把门关上。Qǐng bǎ mén guān shàng.Please close the door.
Common words: 把握 (bǎ wò)、把手 (bǎ shǒu)、把戏 (bǎ xì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to hold"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to hold", including 把 (bǎ / bà), 持 (chí), 容 (róng), 包 (bāo), 承 (chéng), 拿 (ná). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to hold" covers 13 different Chinese characters — 把 (bǎ / bà), 持 (chí), 容 (róng), 包 (bāo), 承 (chéng), 拿 (ná), 载 (zǎi / zài), 握 (wò) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 13 characters do not share a sound — their readings span bǎ, bà, chí, róng, bāo, chéng, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 把 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 把 bǎ / bà(a measure word); (marker for direct-object); to hold; to contain; to grasp; to take hold ofUseful words: 把握, 把手
- 持 chíto grasp; to hold; support; manage; direct; maintainUseful words: 支持, 保持
- 容 róngto hold; to contain; to allow; appearance; look; countenanceUseful words: 容易, 内容
- 包 bāoto cover; to wrap; to hold; to include; to take charge of; packageUseful words: 面包, 钱包
- 承 chéngto bear; to carry; to hold; to continue; to undertake; to take chargeUseful words: 承认, 承担
Common words for these 13 "to hold" characters
Anchor each of these 13 characters in a word you can picture — start with 把 (bǎ / bà) — so "to hold" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
把握bǎ wòto grasp (also fig.); to seize; to hold; assurance把手bǎ shǒuto shake hands把戏bǎ xìacrobatics; jugglery; trick; ploy支持zhī chíto be in favor of; to support; to back; support保持bǎo chíto keep; to maintain; to hold; to preserve坚持jiān chíto persevere with; to persist in; to insist on容易róng yìeasy; straightforward; likely; liable to内容nèi róngcontent; substance; details形容xíng róngto describe; (literary) countenance; appearance面包miàn bāobread
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 13 ways to say "to hold".
持 chí — to grasp; to hold; support; manage; direct; maintain
做任何事都要坚持。Zuò rèn hé shì dōu yào jiān chí.In doing anything, you must persevere.
Common words: 支持 (zhī chí)、保持 (bǎo chí)、坚持 (jiān chí)
容 róng — to hold; to contain; to allow; appearance; look; countenance
这个教室能容纳五十个学生。Zhè ge jiào shì néng róng nà wǔ shí ge xué sheng.This classroom can hold fifty students.
Common words: 容易 (róng yì)、内容 (nèi róng)、形容 (xíng róng)
包 bāo — to cover; to wrap; to hold; to include; to take charge of; package
妈妈包的饺子真好吃。Mā ma bāo de jiǎo zi zhēn hǎo chī.The dumplings Mom wrapped are really delicious.
Common words: 面包 (miàn bāo)、钱包 (qián bāo)、书包 (shū bāo)
承 chéng — to bear; to carry; to hold; to continue; to undertake; to take charge
他答应承担这项任务。Tā dā ying chéng dān zhè xiàng rèn wu.He agreed to take on this task.
Common words: 承认 (chéng rèn)、承担 (chéng dān)、承受 (chéng shòu)
拿 ná — to hold; to seize; to catch; to apprehend; to take
请帮我拿一下那本书。Qǐng bāng wǒ ná yí xià nà běn shū.Please help me get that book.
Common words: 拿到 (ná dào)、拿出 (ná chū)、拿走 (ná zǒu)
载 zǎi / zài — year; to carry; to convey; to load; to hold; and
这辆卡车载着很多货物。Zhè liàng kǎ chē zài zhe hěn duō huò wù.This truck is loaded with a lot of goods.
Common words: 下载 (xià zǎi)、记载 (jì zǎi)、承载 (chéng zài)
握 wò — shake hands; to hold; to grasp
两位老朋友热情地握手。Liǎng wèi lǎo péng you rè qíng de wò shǒu.The two old friends shook hands warmly.
Common words: 把握 (bǎ wò)、握手 (wò shǒu)、掌握 (zhǎng wò)
All 13 characters
Open 把、持、容 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.