压迫
yāpò · HSK 6
oppress
⛓️ 压 press down + 迫 compel — crushed under force: oppressed
压 means pressure or to press down. 迫 means to compel or force. Together they describe bearing down on someone with relentless force — oppression or constriction.
压 — 厂 (cliff) + 土 (earth) below
压 is the simplified form of 壓. The original character combined 厭 (phonetic, suggesting 'yā') with 土 (earth) to mean pressing or weighing down on the ground. The modern simplified form keeps 厂 (a cliff or overhang) above 土, visually evoking earth being pressed under a heavy mass.