grasp

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 把 has 7 strokes and the on-reading は. 把握 (はあく) and 把持 (はじ) concern understanding and holding.
• Basic usage: 把握 concerns grasping a process or quantity intellectually; 把持 concerns physically gripping and holding an object.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Understanding information and gripping an object
  • 全体の流れを把握した means understood the overall workflow before starting. 人数を正確に把握する means to determine the number of people accurately.
  • 薄い板を安定して把持した means that a robotic arm held a thin plate securely. 器具を把持する力が弱いと gives the condition that a weak grip makes the instrument difficult to operate.