Meaning
挤 describes the action of pressing or pushing with force, often in a confined space. It commonly refers to physical squeezing (like squeezing toothpaste) or the pushing that occurs in crowded places (like a packed bus). As an adjective, it describes a crowded, cramped situation.
Usage
挤 is used daily to describe crowded public spaces, rush hour situations, or any scenario involving physical pressure. Common contexts include public transportation (地铁很挤), crowds at events, or literally squeezing objects. The tone can be neutral or slightly negative when describing uncomfortable crowding.
Examples
- 01早上地铁里人太多了，挤得我都喘不过气来。, .There were too many people on the subway this morning; I was so squeezed I could barely breathe.
- 02你能帮我挤一下牙膏吗？?Can you help me squeeze some toothpaste?
Common collocations
- 挤公交to squeeze onto a bus
- 人挤人people crowding people (very crowded)
- 挤时间to squeeze out time, to make time
- 挤牙膏to squeeze toothpaste
Antonyms
Origin
The character 挤 contains the hand radical 扌(hand) on the left, indicating a physical action performed with the hand, combined with 齐 (qí, meaning 'together' or 'uniform'), suggesting the idea of pressing things together.