HSK · Level 25
135 words
Chinese word
逼
Pronunciation
Pinyinbī
Meaning
- verbforce
Example
公司逼他辞职。gōng sī bī tā cí zhí
The company forced him to resign.
More examples
父母不该逼迫孩子学不喜欢的专业。fù mǔ bù gāi bī pò hái zi xué bù xǐ huān de zhuān yè
Parents should not force their children to study majors they do not like.
Core concept
Closes down a person's practical options until one action feels unavoidable.
Common phrases
逼迫bī pò
force
逼供bī gòng
force a confession
逼近bī jìn
approach
Similar words
迫使pò shǐ: Lead someone to take an action through words or circumstances that leave little choice.
强迫qiǎng pò: Make someone act unwillingly through forceful pressure or intimidation.
强制qiáng zhì: Make someone act through the power of an authority or an established rule.
胁迫xié pò: Make someone act by warning of an unwanted consequence if they refuse.
Definition in Chinese
用语言或行为对他人施加压力，使其不得不做某事。yòng yǔ yán huò xíng wéi duì tā rén shī jiā yā lì shǐ qí bù dé bú zuò mǒu shì
Word origin
逼 (bī, "to press close") began with the idea of narrowing someone's physical space, then extended to pressure that leaves a person little freedom to act.
Usage tips
- In ordinary conversation, it usually describes pressure viewed as excessive, so using it for a simple request can make the speaker sound as if blame is being assigned.