How to Write 逮 (dǎi/dài) — Meaning “to catch”

Imagine a person running (辶) with a net (the shape of 隶) to catch a mouse. The pinyin dǎi can help you recall the action of "dying" to catch something, though the tone is different.

Write the right part 隶 first (8 strokes), then add the 辶 radical as the last three strokes. A common mistake is making the 辶 too small or placing it too far left, which disturbs the balance—keep the top dot of 辶 above the right part.

The character 迶 is very rare and usually means "to lead" or "to go", while 迷 (mí) means "to be lost" or "to confuse" and contains 米 (rice) inside the 辶. 逮 contains 隶 and is used specifically for catching or arresting, and its pronunciation is dǎi or dài.

You will often see 逮 in everyday phrases like 逮老鼠 (catch mice) and 逮住 (to catch hold of something). In legal contexts, the word 逮捕 (dài bǔ) means "to arrest", but note the pronunciation shifts to dài in this formal term.

Common words containing 逮 include: 逮老鼠 (dǎi lǎo shǔ) — To catch mice.; 逮住 (dǎi zhù) — to catch; 逮捕 (dài bǔ) — to arrest.