抑 (yì) is a Chinese character meaning “to restrain”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 卬 (raised head; (archaic) I, me), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to restrain; to hold down”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 卬
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分 ⿰扌卬，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：全字 7 笔 = 扌 3 笔 + 卬 4 笔
Memory aid
A hand (扌) laid on 卬, a figure standing with its head lifted — the hand presses it back down. That is what 抑 does: hold something down, keep it in check.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 抑制yì zhìto restrain; to inhibit; to curb抑 = yì
- 压抑yā yìto suppress; oppressive; stifled抑 = yì
Go deeper
All readings
to restrain
to restrain; to hold back; to suppress; to press down
向下压；控制住，不让发展或表现出来。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 抑制yì zhìto restrain; to inhibit; to curb抑 = yì
- 压抑yā yìto suppress; oppressive; stifled抑 = yì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 抑 mean?
抑 (yì) means to restrain; to hold back; to suppress; to press down.
How do you pronounce 抑?
It is pronounced yì.
What parts is 抑 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 卬 (raised head; (archaic) I, me), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分 ⿰扌卬，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：全字 7 笔 = 扌 3 笔 + 卬 4 笔. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 抑 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 抑?
扌. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 抑?
Common ones are 抑制 and 压抑. The reading of 抑 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.