押

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to mortgage; to pawn; to detain in custody; to escort and protect; (literary) to sign

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

扌 meaning “hand” + 甲 sound ( jiǎ )

Components 扌甲

pawn · Heisig RSH #917

fingers + radish

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
押沙龙	Yā shā lóng	Absalom, third son of David, king of Israel (Old Testament)
押运员	yā yùn yuán	supercargo (in maritime law); agent responsible for goods; an escort
押平声韵	yā píng shēng yùn	to restrict to even tone (i.e. final rhyming syllable must be classical first or second to…
押金	yā jīn	deposit; down payment
花押	huā yā	signature (in grass-style writing); symbol used in place of a signature (on a document, co…
押车	yā chē	to escort (goods) during transportation; to delay unloading (a truck, train etc)
押后	yā hòu	to adjourn; to defer
关押	guān yā	to imprison; to lock up (in jail)
押运	yā yùn	to escort (goods or funds); to convey under guard
声押	shēng yā	to apply to a court for an arrest warrant
押解	yā jiè	to send away under escort (criminals, goods etc)
收押	shōu yā	in custody; to keep sb in detention
质押	zhì yā	to pledge (sth, usu. moveables, as security for a loan)
次级抵押贷款	cì jí dǐ yā dài kuǎn	subprime mortgage
押宝	yā bǎo	to play yabao (a gambling game); (fig.) to gamble on; to take one's chance; to try one's l…
抵押物	dǐ yā wù	collateral (finance)
看押	kān yā	to detain; to take into custody; to imprison temporarily
抵押品	dǐ yā pǐn	security (property held against a loan); mortgaged property
画押	huà yā	to sign; to make one's mark
非羁押性	fēi jī yā xìng	noncustodial (sentence)

Characters sharing the sound component 甲 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
甲 sound part	jiǎ	armor, shell; fingernails; 1st heavenly stem
鸭	yā	duck; Anas species (various)
闸	zhá	sluice, floodgate, canal lock
钾	jiǎ	potassium
匣	xiá	case, coffer, small box
岬	jiǎ	cape; promontory, headland
狎	xiá	to be familiar with; to disrespect
呷	xiā	to swallow, to suck, to drink
胛	jiǎ	shoulder; shoulder blade
柙	xiá	a cage or pen for wild animals