押

yā
#1,773 most
frequent character
to mortgage, to pawn, to detain in custody

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

扌 hand is the meaning part and 甲 jiǎ supplies the sound. It first meant signing or marking a contract to show it was genuine. From there came 'mortgage,' 'take into custody,' 'escort,' and 'signature.'

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Homophones

压yā
press, push, keep under control
呀yā
ah (used to express surprise)

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