勒
lè , lēi · HSK 7
to rein in
🐴 革 leather + 力 force = hauling the leather reins to rein in a horse
The two parts are 革 (leather hide) plus 力 (force): leather pulled with force is exactly a bridle reining an animal in. Read lè for to rein in or carve, lēi when you tie or strap something down tight.
勒 — leather 革 + strength 力
A semantic-phonetic compound: 革 (leather, here a horse's bridle) gives the meaning, while 力 (strength) hints at force applied. The original sense was a bridle or rein used to restrain a horse, which extended to 'rein in,' 'compel,' or 'engrave.' The reading lēi keeps the physical 'tighten' sense, while lè covers the figurative uses.