迫害
pò hài · HSK 7
to persecute
⛓️ 迫 (force, press) + 害 (harm) = to force harm onto someone = persecute
迫 pò means to press or compel, the same 迫 in 压迫 (oppress); 害 hài means to harm, as in 伤害. Together they spell out steady forced harm aimed at a person or group — persecution.
害 — 宀 roof + 丯 (phonetic) + 口 mouth
Originally an ideograph showing harm spoken under a roof, with 宀 (roof/house) on top, a phonetic element 丯 in the middle, and 口 (mouth) below suggesting harmful speech. Over time it shifted from 'injury caused by words' to the broader senses of 'harm,' 'injure,' and 'fear.'