把 means “grasp, hold”

は · ha

Also: faggot, bunch, counter for bundles

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ハ, ワ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 7 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) beside 巴, the swirl of the tomoe crest painted on taiko drums: picture fingers curled tight around something. 把 lives in 把握, a firm grasp of a situation, as in 状況を把握する, the phrase every manager reaches for.

Used in 把握 (haaku, grasp/understanding)

More from Grip, Rub & Twist

• 挿 insert
• 抹 rub out
• 搾 squeeze
• 拭 wipe
• 貼 stick
• 捻 twist
• 剝 peel
• 塡 fill
• 摘 pick out
• 振 wave
• 握 grip
• 携 carry

Learn 把 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

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