掌握 zhǎngwò▶ maestro

Stroke order

掌握 is written in 24 strokes across 2 characters.

• 掌 — 12 strokes
• 握 — 12 strokes

Senses

1. to grasp (often fig.)
2. to control
3. to seize (initiative, opportunity, destiny)
4. to master
5. to know well
6. to understand sth well and know how to use it
7. fluency

Related words

• 把握agarrar, comprender
• 握手Apretón de manos
• 鼓掌aplauso

掌握 is pronounced zhǎngwò and means “maestro”. HSK 5 is where this word sits in the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, the exam used to grade Chinese proficiency. Reading 掌握 and remembering it are not the same achievement: the first fades within days unless the second is practised. LexiTrail times each review to the edge of forgetting, which is where a repetition is worth the most.