挟
挟·insert, pinch, sandwich
- On-yomi
- キョウ
- Kun-yomi
- はさ(む)はさ(まる)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 挟む | はさむ | to insert, to sandwich, to pinch between |
| 挟撃 | きょうげき | pincer attack |
| 挟まる | はさまる | to get caught between |
| 板挟み | いたばさみ | being caught between two sides, a dilemma |
Example sentences
本にしおりを挟んだ。
ほんにしおりをはさんだ。
I put a bookmark in the book.
歯に野菜が挟まって取れない。
はにやさいがはさまってとれない。
A bit of vegetable is stuck between my teeth and won't come out.
上司と部下の板挟みになって苦しんでいる。
じょうしとぶかのいたばさみになってくるしんでいる。
He is suffering, caught between his boss and his subordinates.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up 挟む (transitive, to pinch something between) with 挟まる (intransitive, to get caught between)
- Writing 狭む instead of 挟む — the hand radical is the one that pinches
Memory aid
Picture it
The hand 扌 beside 夾, a big person 大 with a small figure tucked under each arm — holding something squeezed on both sides.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 挟 mean?