扣押
koù yā · HSK 7
to detain
🔒⛓️ 扣 fasten/withhold + 押 hold-down = two 扌hands clamp it and seize
Both characters carry the 扌 hand radical: 扣 means to fasten or withhold, 押 means to hold down or pawn. Together: hands clamp onto a person or property and keep it in custody.
扣 — hand radical 扌 + 口 (mouth/phonetic)
扣 is a phono-semantic compound: the hand radical 扌 signals an action done with the hand, while 口 (kǒu) supplies the sound. Its core sense is to knock, fasten, or buckle with the hand, later extending to deduct (as in deducting points) and to button up.
押 — hand radical 扌 + 甲 (jiǎ, phonetic)
押 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 supplies the meaning of pressing or holding down with the hand, while 甲 gives the sound. From the literal sense of pressing, it extended to signing/sealing documents, mortgaging, and detaining — all involving an authoritative 'pressing' action.