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verb HSK 4
Traditional 追趕
zhuī gǎn
to chase · to pursue · to catch up with

Meaning

追赶 means to chase after someone or something, or to try to catch up with them. It implies active pursuit with the goal of reaching or overtaking the target. The word combines 追 (to chase) and 赶 (to rush/hurry), emphasizing both the pursuit and the urgency involved.

Usage

追赶 is commonly used in both literal contexts (chasing a person, animal, or vehicle) and figurative contexts (catching up with competitors, trends, or progress). It often appears with 上 (shàng) to form 追赶上, meaning 'to successfully catch up with.' The word can describe physical pursuit or abstract attempts to match or exceed someone's achievements or pace.

Examples

  1. 01
    他拼命地追赶前面的汽车，但还是没追上。
    Tā pīn mìng de zhuī gǎn qián miàn de qì chē, dàn hái shì méi zhuī shàng.
    He desperately chased the car in front, but still didn't catch up.
  2. 02
    我们必须努力追赶发达国家的技术水平。
    Wǒ men bì xū nǔ lì zhuī gǎn fā dá guó jiā de jì shù shuǐ píng.
    We must work hard to catch up with the technological level of developed countries.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 追赶上
    zhuī gǎn shàng
    to catch up with successfully
  • 拼命追赶
    pīn mìng zhuī gǎn
    to chase desperately
  • 追赶时间
    zhuī gǎn shí jiān
    to race against time
  • 追赶潮流
    zhuī gǎn cháo liú
    to keep up with trends

Antonyms

Origin

Both characters relate to movement and pursuit. 追 originally depicted running after something, while 赶 involves hurrying or driving forward, often used for herding animals.

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