压 meaning and stroke order
To press; to push down; to keep under (control)
How to write 压, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 6
Meaning of 压
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to press
- to push down
- to keep under (control)
- pressure
- used in 壓根兒|压根儿[ya4 gen1 r5]
- used in 壓馬路|压马路[ya4 ma3 lu4]
- used in 壓板|压板[ya4 ban3]
How 压 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Soil 土 crushed under pressure 厂.
Radical: 厂 (cliff), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 压
Picture a cliff overhang 厂 pressing down on a pile of soil 土, with a small dot 丶 squeezed out from under it. Soil crushed under a heavy weight gives you 压 (yā), to press.
压 (yā) is used for physical pressing and for social or emotional pressure, and it appears in many common words like 压力 (yālì, pressure) and 血压 (xuèyā, blood pressure). Example: 我最近工作压力很大。 (Wǒ zuìjìn gōngzuò yālì hěn dà.) I have been under a lot of work pressure lately.
Common mistake: Learners often write 压 without the dot or put the dot in the wrong place. The dot sits at the lower right of 土, and leaving it out turns the character into 圧, which is not used in Chinese. Some also confuse it with 厌 (yàn, to dislike), which has 犬 inside instead of 土.
Common words with 压
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 压力 | yālì | pressure | HSK 3 |
| 压迫 | yāpò | to oppress; to repress | HSK 6 |
| 压制 | yāzhì | to suppress; to inhibit | HSK 7-9 |
| 血压 | xuèyā | blood pressure | HSK 7-9 |
| 压抑 | yāyì | to constrain or repress emotions; oppressive | HSK 7-9 |
| 施压 | shīyā | to pressure | HSK 7-9 |
| 压缩 | yāsuō | to compress; compression | HSK 7-9 |
| 挤压 | jǐyā | to squeeze; to compress; (fig.) to crowd out; to put pressure on | HSK 7-9 |
| 高压 | gāoyā | (physics) high pressure; (meteorology) high atmospheric pressure | HSK 7-9 |
| 减压 | jiǎnyā | to reduce pressure; to relax | HSK 7-9 |
| 高血压 | gāoxuèyā | high blood pressure; hypertension | HSK 7-9 |
| 压倒 | yādǎo | to overwhelm; to overpower | HSK 7-9 |
| 压根 | yàgēn | (mainly used in the negative) in the first place; absolutely; simply | |
| 镇压 | zhènyā | suppression; repression |
压 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 压
How many strokes are in 压?
压 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 压 mean?
压 (yā) means to press; to push down; to keep under (control). A common word with it is 压力 (yālì), meaning "pressure".
How do you pronounce 压?
压 is pronounced yā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 压?
The radical of 压 is 厂, which carries the idea of "cliff". Dictionaries list 压 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 压?
The traditional form of 压 is 壓. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 压 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 压 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 压 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
When is 压 pronounced yà instead of yā?
The yà reading only shows up in a few colloquial words, such as 压根儿 (yàgēnr, at all, from the start) and 压马路 (yà mǎlù, to stroll the streets). In almost every other word, including 压力 and 压迫, it is yā.
What is the difference between 压 and 挤?
压 (yā) means pressing down with weight or force from above, like a stack of books pressing on paper. 挤 (jǐ) means squeezing from the sides or crowding, like people packed on a subway. The two combine in 挤压 (jǐyā), to squeeze or compress.