About
按 is a phono-semantic compound with the hand semantic 扌 (shǒu) on the left and the phonetic 安 (ān) on the right. The hand component indicates a physical action: originally, it meant to press down with the hands or grip tightly. Over time, the meaning broadened to abstract concepts such as restraining, stopping, or examining a situation. Eventually, it became a preposition expressing the idea of acting in accordance with a standard or rule, essentially, "according to" or "based on", showing how the notion of physical pressure shifted to procedural compliance.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请按这个按钮。
按照说明做。
按时到达学校。
按他的方法试试。
按顺序排列这些数字。
按法律规定处理此事。
按实际情况制定方案。
按照上级的指示，我们必须按时完成工作。
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