How to Write 劫 (jié) — Meaning “Rob; plunder; disaster”

Imagine a robber using his strength (力) to take your bag and run away (去). The top part 去 looks like a person leaving, and the bottom 力 shows the force used — together they remind you of a robbery or disaster.

Start with the top part 去: write horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling, then a horizontal hook (乛). Then add the bottom 力: left-falling and a horizontal hook. A common mistake is making the hook of 去 too long or forgetting that the bottom 力 should be compact, not too wide.

功 (gōng) has 工 (work) on the left and 力 (strength) — it means achievement through work. 加 (jiā) has 力 on the left and 口 (mouth) on the right — it means to add, like adding words. 劫 has 去 (remove) on top and 力 below — it means to rob or disaster, focusing on taking by force.

劫 appears in common words like 抢劫 (qiǎng jié, to rob), 劫持 (jié chí, to hijack or kidnap), and 浩劫 (hào jié, great disaster). It often describes violent or destructive events. In Buddhism, 劫 also means a very long era (kalpa), but this is less common in daily life.

Common words containing 劫 include: 抢劫 (qiǎng jié) — to rob; robbery; 劫持 (jié chí) — Hijack; kidnap; 浩劫 (hào jié) — catastrophe / great disaster.