挟 (xié) · to hold under the arm

Meanings

1 to hold under the arm
2 to coerce; to force
3 to harbor (resentment)

Characters

挟

xié

to hold under arm; to coerce

Examples

HSK 7-9

绑匪用人质要挟警方让步。

Bǎngfěi yòng rénzhì yāoxié jǐngfāng ràngbù.

The kidnappers used the hostages to coerce the police into backing down.

HSK 7-9

他腋下挟着一本书，站着等公交。

Tā yèxià xié zhe yì běn shū, zhàn zhe děng gōngjiāo.

He stood there with a book tucked under his arm, waiting for the bus.

Tips

usage

挟 literally means to tuck something under the arm, then figuratively to coerce by holding leverage. Common in 要挟 (to blackmail) and 裹挟 (to sweep along by force).

Components

radical

扌 shǒu

hand

Left-side hand radical, the side form of 手. The arm/hand action is core to 挟: clamping something against the body.

phonetic

夹 jiā

to clamp; to press from both sides

Right side 夹 (to clamp from both sides) supplies the sound (jiā drifting to xié) and reinforces the meaning of pressing something tightly under the arm.