按住 (àn zhù) — to press down and hold (so it cannot move); to restrain, to suppress

Definition

按住 is a result verb: press and keep something down so it cannot move — physically (a button, a wound) or figuratively (restraining a person).

verb
to press down and hold (so it cannot move)to restrainto suppress

Examples

  • 按住。
    Tā yòng shǒu àn zhù le shāng kǒu.
    He pressed down on the wound with his hand.
  • 按住。
    Jǐng chá àn zhù le nà ge xiǎo tōu.
    The police restrained that thief.
  • 按住。
    Qǐng àn zhù zhè ge àn niǔ wǔ miǎo zhōng.
    Please press and hold this button for five seconds.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

按ànpress
住zhùhold

“按” means press and “住” means stay or hold, so pressing makes something stay fixed.

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
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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