夹缝 (jiā féng) — narrow space between two adjacent things; crack; (figurative) difficult situation caught between two forces; loophole

Definition

Literally 'the crack between two things' (a narrow gap, e.g. in a wall). Figuratively, the difficult position of being squeezed between two stronger forces, or a loophole exploited to one's advantage.

noun
narrow space between two adjacent thingscrack(figurative) difficult situation caught between two forcesloophole

Examples

  • 夹缝，。
    Yào shi diào jìn le qiáng shàng de jiā féng lǐ, hěn nán ná chū lái.
    The key fell into a crack in the wall and is hard to get out.
  • 夹缝。
    Xiǎo qǐ yè zài liǎng dà jù tóu de jiā féng zhōng jiān nán shēng cún.
    Small businesses struggle to survive in the narrow space between two giants.
  • 夹缝。
    Tā lì yòng fǎ lǜ de jiā féng táo bì le zé rèn.
    He exploited a loophole in the law to evade responsibility.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

夹jiápinched
缝fèngcrack

夹 pinched + 缝 crack: a narrow pinched gap.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 夾; 夹 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 夾 draws a person with two people beside or under the arms, giving the idea of holding or sandwiching between sides.

Open 夹 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 縫; 缝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
逢
逢féng縫fèng(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 縫 pairs 糸 with 逢; 逢 gives the sound, and 糸 fits the sense. The simplified 缝 is a shorthand.

Open 缝 →

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