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 / search and confiscate

Examples

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.

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