拘 means “detain, restrain”

こう · kou

Also: arrest, seize, concerned, adhere to

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

かかわる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

コウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) clamped on a phrase (句): picture an officer grabbing a suspect mid-sentence. 拘束 is restraint, 拘置所 is where the accused await trial, and read こだわる, 拘る is being particular, like a chef about his broth.

Used in 拘束 (kousoku, restraint), 拘置所 (kouchisho, detention center), and 拘る (kodawaru, to be particular about)

More from Prisons & Penalties

• 獄 prison
• 偵 spy
• 拷 torture
• 囚 prisoner
• 錮 confinement
• 勾 bend
• 逮 arrest
• 刑 penalty
• 罰 punishment
• 懲 punish

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.