按 (àn) — (verb) to press, to push (with hand or finger); (verb) to control, to restrain, to shelve; (preposition) according to, based on
Definition
按 is the everyday verb for 'to press' (a button, a key) and the preposition 'according to' — interchangeable with 按照 here, slightly more formal than the verb 推 ('to push' a person or cart).
verb
to pressto push (with hand or finger)to controlto restrainto shelve
preposition
according tobased on
Examples
- 按。Qǐng àn yí xià àn niǔ.Please press the button once.
- 按。Qǐng àn shùn xù pái duì.Please line up in order.
- 。Tā àn zhù le zì jǐ de qíng xù.He restrained his emotions.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
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.
Grammar
Appears in
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