押 means “push, press”

おす · osu

Also: stop, check, subdue

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

おす, おし-, おっ-, おさえる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

オウ

JLPT N3 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) pressing down on a hard shell (甲), like a thumb on a button. Doors in Japan say 押 for push, and you 押す your hanko seal onto contracts and delivery slips.

Used in 押す (osu, to push), 押し入れ (oshiire, futon closet), and 押さえる (osaeru, to hold down)

More from Hands at Work

• 欠 lack
• 束 bundle
• 閉 close
• 折 fold
• 掛 hang
• 取 take
• 組 group
• 置 put
• 構 structure
• 付 attach
• 消 put out
• 配 distribute

Learn 押 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.