按 meaning and stroke order
To press; to push; to leave aside or shelve
How to write 按, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 按
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to press
- to push
- to leave aside or shelve
- to control
- to restrain
- to keep one's hand on
How 按 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 安 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 按
按 is a hand 扌 plus 安 (ān), which gives the sound. Picture a hand pressing down firmly to keep something calm and settled, like 安 suggests.
As a verb, 按 means to press with a finger or hand, as in 按钮 (ànniǔ, button) and 按下 (ànxià, to press down). It also works like a preposition meaning "according to," often in 按照 (ànzhào) or 按时 (ànshí, on time). Example: 请按时交作业。(Qǐng ànshí jiāo zuòyè.) Please hand in your homework on time.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 按 (àn) with 安 (ān, peace) because they share a sound. 按 always has the hand radical 扌 and the fourth tone. Another slip is writing 接 (jiē, to receive), which also starts with 扌 but has 妾 on the right.
Common words with 按
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 按照 | ànzhào | according to; in accordance with; on the basis of | HSK 3 |
| 按时 | ànshí | on time; before deadline | HSK 4 |
| 按摩 | ànmó | massage; to massage | HSK 5 |
| 按键 | ànjiàn | button or key (on a device); keystroke | HSK 7-9 |
| 按说 | ànshuō | in the ordinary course of events; ordinarily; normally | HSK 7-9 |
| 按理说 | ànlǐ shuō | it is reasonable to say that... | HSK 7-9 |
| 按钮 | ànniǔ | to push a button; button (one that can be pressed to trigger an action) | |
| 按下 | ànxià | to press down; to press a button | |
| 按摩师 | ànmóshī | masseur; massage therapist | |
| 按兵不动 | ànbīngbùdòng | to hold back one's troops without moving (idiom); to bide one's time | |
| 按部就班 | ànbùjiùbān | (idiom) to follow the prescribed order; to keep to the working routine | |
| 按揭 | ànjiē | a mortgage (loanword via Cantonese); to buy property on a mortgage |
按 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 按
How many strokes are in 按?
按 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 按 mean?
按 (àn) means to press; to push; to leave aside or shelve. A common word with it is 按照 (ànzhào), meaning "according to; in accordance with; on the basis of".
How do you pronounce 按?
按 is pronounced àn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 按?
The radical of 按 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 按 under this radical.
Is 按 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 按 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 3.
What is the difference between 按 and 按照?
Both can mean "according to." 按 is shorter and common before single-syllable words, as in 按时 or 按月 (by the month). 按照 sounds a bit more formal and usually comes before longer phrases, like 按照规定 (according to the rules).
What does 按说 mean in conversation?
按说 (ànshuō) means "normally" or "logically speaking," and it often sets up a contrast with what actually happened. Example: 按说他该到了。(Ànshuō tā gāi dào le.) He should have arrived by now. 按理说 means the same thing.