About
The character "扣" has a history where its form and function have shifted in relation to its components. Its core structure, combining the hand radical (扌) with the component for mouth (口), originally conveyed the physical action of knocking or striking, as one would knock on a door, and by extension, the idea of seizing or arresting. A traditional variant, "釦", which replaces the hand radical with metal (金), specifically denoted a metal button or clasp, directly linking the object to its material. Over time, the primary meaning of "扣" itself expanded from the action to encompass the result: to fasten, buckle, or button something. This conceptual framework of securing or holding back logically extended into more abstract applications, such as deducting a portion from a whole, detaining a person or item, or applying a pressing technique in cooking or craftsmanship, with its use as a verb for executing a smash in sports like volleyball being a modern, dynamic application of that same forceful, controlled action.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请扣好安全带。
他把扣子扣上了。
老师扣了我五分。
他扣球非常厉害。
因为迟到，他被扣了工资。
公司扣除了他的部分奖金。
警察扣留了违章车辆。
由于多次违规，他的驾照被扣留了三个月。