壓 meaning and stroke order
Press; oppress; crush; pressure
How to write 壓, stroke by stroke
17 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 壓
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 壓 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Soil 土 crushed under pressure 厭; 厭 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 壓
壓 is 厭 sitting on top of 土 (tǔ, soil). Picture a heavy weight 厭 pressing down on the earth 土 until it is crushed flat, which gives the meaning "press" or "pressure".
壓 (yā) means to press down, physically or figuratively, and it appears in many words about stress and control, such as 壓力 (yālì, pressure) and 血壓 (xuèyā, blood pressure). Example: 我最近工作壓力很大。(Wǒ zuìjìn gōngzuò yālì hěn dà.) My work has been very stressful lately.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the 土 at the bottom and write only 厭 (yàn, to loathe), which is a different character. Also note the fourth tone yà in a few set words like 壓根兒 (yàgēnr), though most speakers say yā in everyday words.
Common words with 壓
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 壓力 | yālì | pressure | HSK 3 |
| 壓迫 | yāpò | to oppress; to repress | HSK 6 |
| 壓制 | yāzhì | to suppress; to inhibit | HSK 7-9 |
| 血壓 | xuèyā | blood pressure | HSK 7-9 |
| 壓抑 | yāyì | to constrain or repress emotions; oppressive | HSK 7-9 |
| 施壓 | shīyā | to pressure | HSK 7-9 |
| 壓縮 | yāsuō | to compress; compression | HSK 7-9 |
| 擠壓 | jǐyā | to squeeze; to compress; (fig.) to crowd out; to put pressure on | HSK 7-9 |
| 高壓 | gāoyā | (physics) high pressure; (meteorology) high atmospheric pressure | HSK 7-9 |
| 減壓 | jiǎnyā | to reduce pressure; to relax | HSK 7-9 |
| 高血壓 | gāoxuèyā | high blood pressure; hypertension | HSK 7-9 |
| 壓倒 | yādǎo | to overwhelm; to overpower | HSK 7-9 |
| 壓根 | yàgēn | (mainly used in the negative) in the first place; absolutely; simply | |
| 鎮壓 | zhènyā | suppression; repression |
Questions about 壓
How many strokes are in 壓?
壓 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 壓 mean?
壓 (yā) means press; oppress; crush; pressure. A common word with it is 压力 (yālì), meaning "pressure".
How do you pronounce 壓?
壓 is pronounced yā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 壓?
The radical of 壓 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 壓 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 壓?
壓 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 压, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 壓根兒 mean?
壓根兒 (yàgēnr) means "at all" or "from the start" and is usually used with a negative. For example, 我壓根兒不知道 (wǒ yàgēnr bù zhīdào) means "I had no idea at all."
What is the difference between 壓迫 and 壓抑?
壓迫 (yāpò) means to oppress other people, often in a political or social sense. 壓抑 (yāyì) is about holding back feelings, or describing an atmosphere that feels heavy and stifling.