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轧 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
轧yàto crush, to grind; mill, rollerv, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧yàto crush together (in a crowd)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧yàto roll (steel)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧yàto make friendsunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧yàto knock sb down with a vehicleunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧yàto check (accounts)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧yàsurname Yaunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧gáto crush, to grind; mill, rollerv, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧gáto crush together (in a crowd)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧gáto roll (steel)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧gáto make friendsunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧gáto knock sb down with a vehicleunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧gáto check (accounts)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧gásurname Yaunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧zháto crush, to grind; mill, rollerv, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧zháto crush together (in a crowd)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧zháto roll (steel)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧zháto make friendsunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧zháto knock sb down with a vehicleunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧zháto check (accounts)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
轧zhásurname Yaunknown, 5 strokes, radical 车, rank #15872, Very Hard
gá(ga2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1to crush, to grind; mill, roller
  2. 2to crush together (in a crowd)
Also a Chinese surname, Ya — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

轧(軋)gá(ga2)

The character 轧 (gá) primarily means 'to crush' or 'to grind,' often used in contexts relating to milling and rolling, particularly in steel production. It can also refer to the act of compressing or crowding together, or even knocking someone down with a vehicle. Additionally, it can denote making friends or checking accounts.

Strokes5Radical车Frequency#15872DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In China, the steel industry is a significant part of the economy, and words like 轧 are commonly used in discussions about manufacturing and infrastructure development. The concept of 'crushing' can also metaphorically relate to social interactions in crowded situations.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant roller crushing steel under its weight, while a crowd gathers around to see. The character 轧 resembles a vehicle (车) that rolls over something, and the sound 'gá' can remind you of the grinding noise it makes.

Meanings of 轧

gá(ga2)
primary
1to crush, to grind; mill, roller
2to crush together (in a crowd)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 轧

轧Simplified
軋Traditional
5Strokes
车Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 轧

JasonAmy

Podcast: 轧

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 轧

Quick Contrast

压 (yā) vs 轧 (gá): use 轧 for specific contexts of crushing or grinding in milling, while 压 is more general for pressing or applying force.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone, as 'gá' is pronounced with a rising tone, which can be easily confused with other tones. It's often used in informal contexts but can be applied in technical discussions about industry. Common collocations include 轧钢 (to roll steel) and 轧车 (to crush with a vehicle).

HSK Study Tips

While 轧 is not currently part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other HSK words related to machinery and processes. Students should focus on recognizing its usage in industrial contexts and related phrases.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 轧 with similar characters that have different tones, such as 牙 (yá, tooth) or 夹 (jiā, to pinch). Ensure you practice the rising tone to avoid misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 轧

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Etymology of 轧

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the meaning and 乚 represents the sound. Simplified form of 軋.

Memory Hint

cart

Semantic (meaning)车
+
Phonetic (sound)乚
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 轧

Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the meaning and 乚 represents the sound. Simplified form of 軋.

  1. 1The meaning half车 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half乚 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaycart
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 轧? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 轧?

Decomposition of 轧

IDS Structure⿰车乚
轧Full Character
=
车Che1
left
乚gou1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 轧?

How to say to crush, to grind; mill, roller in Chinese

“to crush, to grind; mill, roller” in Chinese is轧yà

The character 轧 (gá) primarily means 'to crush' or 'to grind,' often used in contexts relating to milling and rolling, particularly in steel production. It can also refer to the act of compressing or crowding together, or even knocking someone down with a vehicle. Additionally, it can denote making friends or checking accounts.

When to use 轧

Be cautious with the tone, as 'gá' is pronounced with a rising tone, which can be easily confused with other tones. It's often used in informal contexts but can be applied in technical discussions about industry. Common collocations include 轧钢 (to roll steel) and 轧车 (to crush with a vehicle).

轧 or something close to it

压 (yā) vs 轧 (gá): use 轧 for specific contexts of crushing or grinding in milling, while 压 is more general for pressing or applying force.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 轧 with similar characters that have different tones, such as 牙 (yá, tooth) or 夹 (jiā, to pinch). Ensure you practice the rising tone to avoid misunderstandings.

Write 轧

轧

Practice writing 轧 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 轧

轧 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

那辆车把那人来回____了两次，先是倒着轧的，再是往前开着轧的。

The car passed over the body twice, once backward and then forward.

Example Sentences for 轧 (5)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
那辆车把那人来回轧了两次，先是倒着轧的，再是往前开着轧的。

nà liàng chē bǎ nà rén lái huí yà le liǎng cì， ， xiān shì dǎo zháo yà， de ， zài shì wǎng qián kāi zháo。

The car passed over the body twice, once backward and then forward.
2
他把门旋转关起时,门发出轧轧声.

tā bǎ mén xuán zhuǎn guān qǐ shí, , mén fā chū yà yà.

The gate scrooped as he swung It'shut.
3
它需要轧成3百种规格的钢材.

tā xū yào yà chéng3 3 bǎi zhǒng guī gé de gāng.

It needs steel rolled to 300 different specifications.
4
他的手卷到机器里轧烂了。

tā de shǒu juàn dào jī qì lǐ yà làn le。

His hand was mangled in the machine.
5
她听到轮胎轧过石子铺成的车道，发出嘎吱声。

tā tīng dào lún tāi yà guò shí zǐ pū chéng de chē dào， ， fā chū gā zhī。

She heard the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway.

Word Family of 轧

Words Containing This Character14
轧gáto crush軋
冷轧cold-rolling冷軋
轧钢to roll steel (into sheets or bars)軋鋼
轧机steel rolling mill軋機
轧制rolling steel軋製
轧辊roller軋輥
倾轧conflict傾軋
轧花机cotton gin軋花機
轧轧(onom.) sound of machinery, e.g. squeaking軋軋
轧钢机a steel rolling mill軋鋼機
挤轧to bump and shove擠軋
轧道机road roller軋道機
轧场to roll with a stone roller軋場
轧道车trolley for inspecting rail track軋道車
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 轧 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 轧

It's often used in discussions about industry, especially when talking about manufacturing processes.

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