压 yā press
press; crush; pressure
How to remember 压: 厂 factory + 土 earth + 丶 dot = press. Behind the factory the girl packs wet earth into a mold, marks a dot on top and uses both hands to press it down.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
压 = 厂 factory + 圡 soil
- 厂 factory
- 圡 soil
- 土 earth
- 丶 dot
Behind the factory the girl packs wet earth into a mold, marks a dot on top and uses both hands to press it down.
How it came to be
In the full form, earth at the bottom gives the meaning and the part above it gives the sound.
How it is used
- To press / crush / suppress, and pressure: 压力 (yālì) pressure/stress, 血压 (xuèyā) blood pressure, 压倒 (yādǎo) overwhelm.
- 压力 covers both physical pressure and mental stress: 工作压力大 (gōngzuò yālì dà) work is very stressful.
- 压缩 (yāsuō) compress; 高压 (gāoyā) high pressure/high-handed.
Words with 压
- 压力yālìpressureHSK 4
- 压岁钱yāsuìqiánNew Year money for childrenHSK 5
- 减压jiǎnyāto reduce pressureHSK 6
- 压缩yāsuōto compressHSK 6
- 血压xuèyāblood pressureHSK 6
- 压倒yādǎoto overwhelmHSK 7
- 气压qìyāatmospheric pressureHSK 7
- 高压gāoyāhigh pressureHSK 7
- 压制yāzhìto suppressHSK 8
- 压抑yāyìto constrain or repress emotionsHSK 8
- 压榨yāzhàto pressHSK 8
- 压轴yāzhòuopera term: to present the second to last item in a theatrical performanceHSK 8
- 压迫yāpòto oppressHSK 8
- 挤压jǐyāto squeezeHSK 8
- 施压shīyāto pressureHSK 8
- 高血压gāoxuèyāhigh blood pressureHSK 9
Example sentences
- 他承受着很大的工作压力。 Tā chéngshòuzhe hěn dà de gōngzuò yālì.He's under a lot of pressure at work.