抄家

chāojiā

verb #68,400

Meanings

1 to search a house and confiscate all property
2 to raid and seize a household's possessions

Characters

to copy; to search and confiscate

Examples

HSK 7-9

明清时期，犯重罪的官员往往要被抄家。

Míng Qīng shíqī, fàn zhòngzuì de guānyuán wǎngwǎng yào bèi chāojiā.

During the Ming and Qing, officials guilty of serious crimes often had their houses raided and possessions confiscated.

HSK 7-9

文革期间，许多人家被抄家。

Wéngé qījiān, xǔduō rénjiā bèi chāojiā.

During the Cultural Revolution, many households were raided and their belongings confiscated.

Tips

history

Historically a punishment for serious crimes - the state would seize all assets, often making the family destitute. The famous 红楼梦 (Dream of the Red Chamber) ends with the Jia family suffering exactly this fate.

Stroke Order

抄 chāo

家 jiā