<p>For the part talking about seizing the chance both character can be used but 抓 is more for written Chinese and speaking mandarin while 捉 is for speaking (I speak Cantonese)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-14T16:06:22.513Z
2019-01-14T16:06:22.513Z
Eric
<p>see dictionaries, e.g. bkrs: <strong>抓</strong> scratch; clutch, seize, grab 1) 动 搔。
如：「抓痒」、「抓头」。
2) 动 用手或爪取物。
如：「抓一把花生米。」
文选．枚乘．上书谏吴王：「十围之木，始生而櫱，足可搔而绝，手可擢而抓。」
3) 动 捕捉、捉拿。
如：「抓贼」、「抓小偷」。
4) 动 把握、掌握。
如：「抓住机会」、「抓住要点」 <strong>syn. 相关: 办案, 围捕, 拘, 拘捕, 捉, 捉住, 捉拿, 捕, 搜捕, 缉, 缉拿, 缉捕, 追捕, 通缉, 逮, 逮捕</strong> </p>

<p><strong>捉</strong> grasp, clutch; catch, seize 1) 动 握住、拿。
如：「捉襟见肘」。
南朝宋．刘义庆．世说新语．容止：「自以形陋不足雄远国，使崔季珪代，帝自捉刀立床头。」
2) 动 逮捕、抓住。
如：「捕捉」、「活捉」、「捉贼」、「捕风捉影」、「猫捉老鼠」。
3) 动 戏弄。
如：「捉弄」。<strong>syn. 同义: 秉, 拿, 持, 执 相关: 俘, 俘获, 俘虏, 执, 抓, 捕, 擒, 活捉, 生俘, 生擒, 获, 虏, 逮</strong></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-14T08:31:20.220Z
Hey! Is it possible to provide some explanations in English? I don't really understand the Chinese meanings. 
Nephilim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-14T08:34:18.113Z
examples in LINE dictionary and  iciba with complete English translations, would seem to give a good idea when interchangeable and when not
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-14T08:26:35.900Z
2019-01-14T08:26:35.900Z
user6065
<p>The accepted answer is very good. I just wanna add something that might help explain when these two both mean catch.</p>

<p>For me as a Chinese speaker, 抓 seems to catch larger things than 捉. The things to 捉 seems to be more agile like a mouse. When you use 抓, it seems you can just use brutal force to catch it, like a criminal. So a common Chinese phrase 老鹰捉/抓小鸡 makes sense in both cases.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-18T06:53:22.563Z
2019-01-18T06:53:22.563Z
Seaky Lone
<p>人無爪，只有禽有爪；禽捕捉獵物才抓，人是用手的，所以是捉！古書裡一直都用捉：</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《三國志．魏書．華佗傳》：「郡守果大怒，令人追捉殺佗。」
唐代杜甫〈石壕吏〉：「暮投石壕村，有吏夜捉人。」</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-22T18:44:26.300Z
2023-06-22T19:02:42.323Z
2023-06-22T19:02:42.323Z
Angus Chang
<blockquote>
<p>抓 and 捉 can be used interchangeably when it means 'catch; capture; arrest'</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For example:</p>
<p><strong>抓</strong>老鼠 = <strong>捉</strong>老鼠 = <strong>catch</strong>/<strong>capture</strong> mice</p>
<p>警察來<strong>抓</strong>人 = 警察來<strong>捉</strong>人 police come to <strong>arrest</strong> someone</p>
<p><em>In the context of 'catch; capture; arrest' , 抓 is more colloquial, 捉 is more literary</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p>抓 contains the meanings of 'get hold of/grab; seize'</p>
<p>which it doesn't share with 捉</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<p><strong>抓</strong>緊這個機會 (<strong>get hold of</strong> this opportunity) cannot be written as 捉緊這個機會 because  'get hold of' is different from 'capture/catch'</p>
<p><strong>抓</strong>起武器 (<strong>grab</strong> weapon) cannot be written as 捉起武器 because 'grab' here refers to 'get hold of', not 'capture/catch'</p>
<p><strong>抓</strong>權 (<strong>seize</strong> power) cannot be written as 捉權 because 'seize' here refers to ''get hold of', not 'capture/catch'</p>
<blockquote>
<p>抓 also contains the meanings of 'to scratch'</p>
<p>which it doesn't share with 捉</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>抓癢 (scratch an itch)</p>
<p>抓眼珠 (scratch eyeball)</p>
<p><em>Also: 抓狅 (catch a madness = become crazy) cannot be written as 捉狅  because '抓狅' is a set phrase; 捉姦 (catch an affair in action) cannot be written as 抓姦 because '捉姦' is a set phrase</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-14T08:43:48.463Z
2019-01-14T10:06:29.710Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>Can the word 抓 and 捉 be used interchangeably? The English translations seems similar. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T00:16:16.953Z
when you emphasize an action, 抓 is preferred。
Daniel Yang
<meaning>
What is the difference between 抓 and 捉?
# What is the difference between 抓 and 捉?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-14)

Can the word 抓 and 捉 be used interchangeably? The English translations seems similar.

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: when you emphasize an action, 抓 is preferred。  

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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2019-01-14. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> 抓 and 捉 can be used interchangeably when it means 'catch; capture; arrest'

For example:

**抓**老鼠 = **捉**老鼠 = **catch**/**capture** mice

警察來**抓**人 = 警察來**捉**人 police come to **arrest** someone

*In the context of 'catch; capture; arrest' , 抓 is more colloquial, 捉 is more literary*

> 抓 contains the meanings of 'get hold of/grab; seize'
>
> which it doesn't share with 捉

Example:

**抓**緊這個機會 (**get hold of** this opportunity) cannot be written as 捉緊這個機會 because 'get hold of' is different from 'capture/catch'

**抓**起武器 (**grab** weapon) cannot be written as 捉起武器 because 'grab' here refers to 'get hold of', not 'capture/catch'

**抓**權 (**seize** power) cannot be written as 捉權 because 'seize' here refers to ''get hold of', not 'capture/catch'

> 抓 also contains the meanings of 'to scratch'
>
> which it doesn't share with 捉

Example:

抓癢 (scratch an itch)

抓眼珠 (scratch eyeball)

*Also: 抓狅 (catch a madness = become crazy) cannot be written as 捉狅 because '抓狅' is a set phrase; 捉姦 (catch an affair in action) cannot be written as 抓姦 because '捉姦' is a set phrase*


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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-01-14. Score: 2

For the part talking about seizing the chance both character can be used but 抓 is more for written Chinese and speaking mandarin while 捉 is for speaking (I speak Cantonese)


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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-01-14. Score: 0

see dictionaries, e.g. bkrs: **抓** scratch; clutch, seize, grab 1) 动 搔。
如：「抓痒」、「抓头」。
2) 动 用手或爪取物。
如：「抓一把花生米。」
文选．枚乘．上书谏吴王：「十围之木，始生而櫱，足可搔而绝，手可擢而抓。」
3) 动 捕捉、捉拿。
如：「抓贼」、「抓小偷」。
4) 动 把握、掌握。
如：「抓住机会」、「抓住要点」 **syn. 相关: 办案, 围捕, 拘, 拘捕, 捉, 捉住, 捉拿, 捕, 搜捕, 缉, 缉拿, 缉捕, 追捕, 通缉, 逮, 逮捕**

**捉** grasp, clutch; catch, seize 1) 动 握住、拿。
如：「捉襟见肘」。
南朝宋．刘义庆．世说新语．容止：「自以形陋不足雄远国，使崔季珪代，帝自捉刀立床头。」
2) 动 逮捕、抓住。
如：「捕捉」、「活捉」、「捉贼」、「捕风捉影」、「猫捉老鼠」。
3) 动 戏弄。
如：「捉弄」。**syn. 同义: 秉, 拿, 持, 执 相关: 俘, 俘获, 俘虏, 执, 抓, 捕, 擒, 活捉, 生俘, 生擒, 获, 虏, 逮**

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Hey! Is it possible to provide some explanations in English? I don't really understand the Chinese meanings.   
> **username_3**: examples in LINE dictionary and  iciba with complete English translations, would seem to give a good idea when interchangeable and when not  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-01-18. Score: 0

The accepted answer is very good. I just wanna add something that might help explain when these two both mean catch.

For me as a Chinese speaker, 抓 seems to catch larger things than 捉. The things to 捉 seems to be more agile like a mouse. When you use 抓, it seems you can just use brutal force to catch it, like a criminal. So a common Chinese phrase 老鹰捉/抓小鸡 makes sense in both cases.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2023-06-22. Score: 0

人無爪，只有禽有爪；禽捕捉獵物才抓，人是用手的，所以是捉！古書裡一直都用捉：

> 《三國志．魏書．華佗傳》：「郡守果大怒，令人追捉殺佗。」
> 唐代杜甫〈石壕吏〉：「暮投石壕村，有吏夜捉人。」


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