压抑
Old HSK 6
压抑 (yāyì) · to hold back (feelings)
压抑 (yāyì) means “to hold back (feelings); depressing; stifling”. It is written with 2 characters: 压 (to press) + 抑 (to curb). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).
How 压抑 is built
The characters
压 yā · to press
What 压 is made of
- 厂chǎng — "cliff" in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 27)
- 土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 十 — ten
- 丶 — dot
Origin hint: Soil 土 crushed under pressure 厂 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
抑 yì · to curb
What 抑 is made of
- 扌shǒu — hand
- 二 — two strokes
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 亅 — hook
- 二 — two strokes
- 卬áng — lofty
- 匕bǐ — spoon
- 乚 — hook stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 卩jié — seal
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 匕bǐ — spoon
Example sentences
她心里很压抑，想大哭一场。Tā xīnlǐ hěn yāyì, xiǎng dàkū yīcháng.She feels so pent-up she wants to have a good cry.
这里的气氛很压抑。Zhèlǐ de qìfēn hěn yāyì.The atmosphere here is stifling.
Questions about 压抑
What does 压抑 mean?
压抑 (yāyì) means “to hold back (feelings); depressing; stifling”.
How do you pronounce 压抑?
压抑 is pronounced yāyì.
Which HSK level is 压抑?
压抑 is in Old HSK 6.
Related words
- 压力yālìpressure
- 气压qìyāair pressure
- 血压xuèyāblood pressure
- 压迫yāpòto oppress
- 压岁钱yāsuìqiánNew Year money (gift to children)
- 压缩yāsuōto compress
- 压榨yāzhàto squeeze
- 压制yāzhìto suppress
- 压yāto press
Learn 压抑 with its group
It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 208: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.