字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

repress, well, now, in the first place, push, shove, press, seal, do in spite of

On’yomi ヨク
Kun’yomi おさ.える

Origin

This character shows a hand (the left component) pushing down on something, which represents the action of repressing or holding back. The right component suggests a constraint or resistance being overcome by force. The image of physically pressing or pushing down naturally came to mean "to repress" or "to suppress," as when you push something down to keep it in place. Over time, the meaning expanded to include related senses like "to restrain" and even "now" or "well" as transitional expressions in speech, similar to how a pause holds back the flow of words.

抑 7 strokes

Components

This character is treated as a single, undivided shape (抑).

  • 抑 meaning part

Common words

  • 抑圧 よくあつ check; restraint
  • 抑止 よくし keeping in check; holding back
  • 抑制 よくせい control; restraint
  • 抑揚 よくよう intonation; accent
  • 抑留 よくりゅう internment; detainment
  • 抑え おさえ weight (e.g. paperweight); pressing down
  • 抑える おさえる to keep within limits (e.g. spending); to restrain (e.g. emotions)

Related kanji

Same radical

Reference

Strokes
7
Kangxi radical
64
Formation type
Pictographic or simple
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#834 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+06291