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减压 (jiǎn yā) — to de‑stress; to relieve pressure; to relax

Definition

减压 means 'to de‑stress / relieve pressure,' focused on mental or emotional pressure. Use 放松 for general 'relax,' and 减轻/缓解 for reducing a burden or pain.

verb
to de‑stressto relieve pressureto relax

Examples

  • ，减压。
    Gōng zuò tài máng le, wǒ měi tiān dōu xū yào tīng yīn yuè jiǎn yā.
    Work is too busy; I need to listen to music to de‑stress every day.
  • 减压，。
    Kǎo shì qián yào xué huì jiǎn yā, bú yào gěi zì jǐ tài dà yā lì.
    Before exams, you should learn to relax and not put too much pressure on yourself.
  • ，。
    Tài lèi le, wǒ xiǎng jiǎn yí xià yā.
    I'm too tired; I want to de‑stress for a bit.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

减jiǎnreduce
压yāpressure

减 reduce and 压 pressure mean lowering pressure or stress.

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 減; 减 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 減 has 氵, water, and 咸, a seal: sealing off a stream of water lessens its flow. The simplified 减 is a later abbreviation.

Open 减 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 6Mental Health

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