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积压 (jī yā) — (of goods) to overstock, to keep in stock too long; (of tasks, work) to backlog, to put off

Definition

积压 means things pile up because no one deals with them — usually goods sitting unsold or work that keeps getting delayed. Often used in business or organizational contexts to flag an unresolved backlog.

verb
(of goods) to overstockto keep in stock too long(of tasks, work) to backlogto put off

Examples

  • 积压。
    Gōng sī cāng kù lǐ jī yā le dà liàng de huò wù.
    The company's warehouse is overstocked with a large amount of goods.
  • ，积压。
    Yīn wèi rén shǒu bú gòu, gōng zuò jī yā le hěn duō.
    Because of insufficient staff, a lot of work has been backlogged.
  • 积压。
    Tā zǒng bǎ kùn nan wèn tí jī yā xià lái.
    He always puts off difficult problems.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

积jīaccumulate
压yāpile; press

积 means to accumulate and 压 means to pile or press, so the word describes goods or work piling up.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 積; 积 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
責
責zé積jī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 積 pairs 禾 (grain) with 責, which gives the sound; the simplified 积 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 积 →

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 壓; 压 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔdust
Sound part声符shēngfú
厭
厭yàn壓yā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壓 is built from 土, dust, and 厭, which gives the sound; 压 is the simplified form of 壓.

Open 压 →
Appears in
Business & Commerce

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