按捺不住 (àn nà bú zhù) — cannot hold back, cannot suppress (one's feelings or impulses)

Definition

Used for emotions or impulses you can no longer keep down (excitement, anger, gratitude). 按捺 is the verb; 不住 marks that the holding-back fails.

verb
cannot hold backcannot suppress (one's feelings or impulses)

Examples

  • ，按捺不住。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, wǒ àn nà bú zhù jī dòng de xīn qíng xiào le qǐ lái.
    Upon hearing the news, I couldn't hold back my excitement and laughed.
  • 按捺不住，。
    Tā àn nà bú zhù nù huǒ, chōng shàng qián qù lǐ lùn.
    He couldn't contain his anger and rushed forward to argue.
  • 按捺不住，。
    Tā àn nà bú zhù duì dà jiā de gǎn jī, zhàn qǐ lái shēn shēn jū le yì gōng.
    She couldn't suppress her gratitude toward everyone, stood up, and bowed deeply.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
安
安ān按àn
Same sound today

按 has 扌, the hand radical, and 安. The hand part points to an action done with the hand, while 安 supplies the sound and the idea of being at ease, linked to pressing down.

Open 按 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
奈
奈nài捺nà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

捺 pairs 扌 (hand) with 奈, which gives the sound, and the shape shows pressing down or stamping with the hand.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →

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