Chinese character · HSK 5
夹 (jiā) — “to clip / to squeeze”
The character is an ideogram depicting a large person (大) holding two objects (丷) tightly tucked under their arms, conveying the action of clipping, squeezing, or carrying under the arm.
How to remember 夹
A BIG person (大) firmly CLIPS two small objects (丷) under their arms.
Inside the character
- 夫 (husband / man) — meaning component. Often a sound-bearing piece in 扶 / 肤 / 麸 — and stands alone meaning husband or grown man.
- 丷 (horns / split) — meaning component. Two short strokes pointing apart — a structural top piece in characters like 兰 / 半 / 关.
Where 夹 comes from
In Oracle Bone Script, it depicted a large person standing with two smaller people or objects tucked under their arms, representing the action of pressing from both sides or carrying something closely.
Words that use 夹
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 夹子 | jiā zi | clip / tongs | HSK 5 |
| 夹心 | jiā xīn | sandwich / filled (e.g. | HSK 5 |
| 夹 | jiā | to press from either side / to place in between | HSK 5 |
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More characters: 妈 (mā, mother / mom) · 寿 (shòu, longevity / long life) · 屏 (píng, screen / folding screen) — or browse the full character library.