Definitions

(verb) to mortgage; to pawn
(verb) to detain in custody; to escort and protect
(verb) to sign

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 押, formed by the hand radical 扌 combined with 甲, originally conveyed notions of manual pressure or securing through physical force, with 甲 primarily serving a phonetic role despite its independent meaning related to armor. Its usage gradually extended from tangible actions like pressing down or holding fast to more abstract applications in legal and financial domains, including the pawning of goods or the detention of individuals, thereby illustrating a semantic broadening that aligned with societal needs for terms describing secured transactions or constrained liberty.

Example Sentences Hide

入住前要交金。

Rù zhù qián yào jiāo yā jīn.

You need to pay a deposit before checking in.

这首诗韵很好。

Zhè shǒu shī yā yùn hěn hǎo.

This poem rhymes very well.

警察将犯人送到监狱。

Jǐng chá jiāng fàn rén yā sòng dào jiān yù.

The police escorted the prisoner to the prison.

法院扣了他的财产。

Fǎ yuàn kòu yā le tā de cái chǎn.

The court seized his property.

他们运一批贵重货物。

Tā men yā yùn yī pī guì zhòng huò wù.

They are escorting a batch of valuable goods.

他在赛马上注很多钱。

Tā zài sài mǎ shàng yā zhù hěn duō qián.

He bet a lot of money on the horse race.

士兵解战俘前往营地。

Shì bīng yā jiě zhàn fú qián wǎng yíng dì.

The soldiers escorted the prisoners of war to the camp.

他把手表在当铺。

Tā bǎ shǒu biǎo yā zài dàng pù.

He pawned his watch at the pawnshop.