TongTong
Sign in

收押 (shōu yā) — to take into custody; to detain; to accept (an item) as a pledge; to pawn

Definition

Formal/legal term combining 'to take into custody' (of a person) and 'to accept as a pledge' (of property). Mostly seen in police, court, and pawnshop contexts — not casual speech.

verb
to take into custodyto detainto accept (an item) as a pledgeto pawn

Examples

  • 收押，。
    Jǐng fāng jiāng tā shōu yā, děng dài shěn pàn.
    The police took him into custody, awaiting trial.
  • 收押。
    Tā yīn dào qiè zuì bèi shōu yā le.
    He was detained for theft.
  • 收押。
    Diǎn dàng háng shōu yā le tā de shǒu biǎo.
    The pawnshop accepted his watch as a pledge.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

收shōutake in
押yāhold or detain

收 (take in) and 押 (hold or detain) together mean to take into custody.

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
丩
丩jiū收shōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

收 uses 攴 to show an action and 丩 as a sound clue; the old meaning was 'to arrest.'

Open 收 →

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
甲
甲jiǎ押yā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

押 pairs 扌, a hand, with 甲, which gives the sound.

Open 押 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.