HSK Level 5

jiā

clip; folder; press from both sides; place in between; mix

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Example Sentences

我把书夹在桌子上。

Wǒ bǎ shū jiā zài zhuōzi shàng.

I put the book on the table.

他把衣服夹在衣架上。

Tā bǎ yīfu jiā zài yījià shàng.

He hung the clothes on the hanger.

她把头发夹起来。

Tā bǎ tóufa jiā qǐlái.

She put her hair up.

Synonyms

Antonyms

(sōng)

loose

(kāi)

open

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 夹 (jiā) is composed of two parts: 扌(shǒu), which represents the hand, and 夹 (jiā), which represents a pair of pincers. The original meaning of 夹 is "to hold something between two objects". In modern Chinese, 夹 can also mean "to insert", "to squeeze", or "to be caught in the middle".The character 夹 first appeared in the oracle bone script, which is the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In the oracle bone script, 夹 is depicted as a hand holding a pair of pincers. This image suggests that the original meaning of 夹 was "to hold something between two objects".In the seal script, which is a later form of Chinese writing, 夹 is depicted as a hand holding a pair of chopsticks. This image suggests that the meaning of 夹 had expanded to include "to insert" and "to squeeze".In the modern Chinese character, 夹 is still depicted as a hand holding a pair of chopsticks. However, the meaning of 夹 has expanded to include "to be caught in the middle". This meaning is derived from the fact that when something is caught in the middle, it is often squeezed or held between two objects.The character 夹 is a versatile character that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is a common character in Chinese writing, and it is also used in many Chinese idioms and proverbs.