<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://xh.5156edu.com/html3/4820.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://xh.5156edu.com/html3/4820.html</a></p>
  
  <p>逼,近也。——《说文新附》</p>
  
  <p>逼, means 'to approach and get close to'</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://xh.5156edu.com/html3/4732.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://xh.5156edu.com/html3/4732.html</a></p>
  
  <p>迫: 用强力压制 (use force to press)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://xh.5156edu.com/html5/z32m80j144802.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://xh.5156edu.com/html5/z32m80j144802.html</a></p>
  
  <p>逼迫: to force;to compel;to press</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>逼迫</strong>(approach and forcefully press) = '<strong>to force/ to compel/ to press</strong>' </p>

<p>It is a compound word </p>

<p>逼 and 迫 are very similar, but there are subtle difference</p>

<ul>
<li><p>逼: by approach extremely close, you are in effect <strong>pressing</strong> the object</p></li>
<li><p>迫: by forcefully pressing, you are extremely <strong>close to</strong> the object</p></li>
</ul>

<p>In my experience, many people use 逼 and 迫 interchangeably</p>

<p>I have no problem with people using 逼 or 迫 for 'press' as in '逼切/'迫切 (pressingly close = urgent) </p>

<p>But I object using 迫 instead of 逼 for 'approach' as in '颱風逼近' (typhoon approaching) </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Do they all carry the same connotation of “to force?”</p>
</blockquote>

<ul>
<li><p>迫 and 逼迫 mean 'to force' directly</p></li>
<li><p>逼 means 'to force' by extended meaning  (approaching --> pressing --> forcing)</p></li>
</ul>

<p><em>Cantonese only use 迫 or 逼 for 'to force'. 
We do not use the term 逼迫</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-01T22:30:10.033Z
2018-12-01T23:14:06.360Z
2018-12-01T23:14:06.360Z
Tang Ho
<p>I intuitively think you can distinguish them like: 逼 is someone force you do something, while 迫 is you have to do (have no choice but to do) something.</p>
<p>e.g.</p>
<p>我妈<strong>逼我</strong>写作业：My mom <em><strong>force me to</strong></em> do my homework</p>
<p>我<strong>迫于无奈</strong>，只能告诉你妈妈你没写作业：I <em><strong>have no choice but to</strong></em> tell your mom that you didn't do your homework.</p>
<hr />
<p>And when you use them together, 逼迫 can be either 逼 or 迫.</p>
<p>In Chinese (especially ancient Chinese) some words are biased, which means <strong>the word's meaning is the same as one part of the word</strong> and have nothing to do with the other part. The exact meaning of these words are decided by contents.</p>
<p>More examples are: 园圃(tree filed &amp; vegetable filed), 国家(country &amp; family), 利害(gain &amp; loss), 出入(in &amp; out), 深浅(deep &amp; shallow), 褒贬(praise &amp; belittle), 悲欢(sad &amp; happy)</p>
<p>But these biased combined words are mostly appears in ancient Chinese not modern. Some of them now have a fixed meaning rather than a contents based meaning. Like 国家(country only now).</p>
<p>These are my intuitive feelings.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-30T00:27:55.303Z
2020-07-30T00:51:58.317Z
2020-07-30T00:51:58.317Z
元卅 Yuán Sà
<ol>
<li><p>Do 逼, 迫, and 逼迫 all carry the same connotation of &quot;to force&quot;? Is there a difference?</p>
</li>
<li><p>If there's a difference, when should you use each one?</p>
</li>
<li><p>Which is the most common to use in speaking and writing?</p>
</li>
<li><p>Is there a difference between Cantonese and Mandarin?</p>
</li>
</ol>

<usage><mandarin><difference><cantonese>
What's the difference between 逼, 迫, and 逼迫?
# What's the difference between 逼, 迫, and 逼迫?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-01)

1. Do 逼, 迫, and 逼迫 all carry the same connotation of "to force"? Is there a difference?
2. If there's a difference, when should you use each one?
3. Which is the most common to use in speaking and writing?
4. Is there a difference between Cantonese and Mandarin?

**Tags:** usage, mandarin, difference, cantonese

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-12-01. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> <http://xh.5156edu.com/html3/4820.html>
>
> 逼,近也。——《说文新附》
>
> 逼, means 'to approach and get close to'

~

> <http://xh.5156edu.com/html3/4732.html>
>
> 迫: 用强力压制 (use force to press)

~

> <http://xh.5156edu.com/html5/z32m80j144802.html>
>
> 逼迫: to force;to compel;to press

**逼迫**(approach and forcefully press) = '**to force/ to compel/ to press**'

It is a compound word

逼 and 迫 are very similar, but there are subtle difference

* 逼: by approach extremely close, you are in effect **pressing** the object
* 迫: by forcefully pressing, you are extremely **close to** the object

In my experience, many people use 逼 and 迫 interchangeably

I have no problem with people using 逼 or 迫 for 'press' as in '逼切/'迫切 (pressingly close = urgent)

But I object using 迫 instead of 逼 for 'approach' as in '颱風逼近' (typhoon approaching)

> Do they all carry the same connotation of “to force?”

* 迫 and 逼迫 mean 'to force' directly
* 逼 means 'to force' by extended meaning (approaching --> pressing --> forcing)

*Cantonese only use 迫 or 逼 for 'to force'.
We do not use the term 逼迫*


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-07-30. Score: 2

I intuitively think you can distinguish them like: 逼 is someone force you do something, while 迫 is you have to do (have no choice but to do) something.

e.g.

我妈**逼我**写作业：My mom ***force me to*** do my homework

我**迫于无奈**，只能告诉你妈妈你没写作业：I ***have no choice but to*** tell your mom that you didn't do your homework.

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And when you use them together, 逼迫 can be either 逼 or 迫.

In Chinese (especially ancient Chinese) some words are biased, which means **the word's meaning is the same as one part of the word** and have nothing to do with the other part. The exact meaning of these words are decided by contents.

More examples are: 园圃(tree filed & vegetable filed), 国家(country & family), 利害(gain & loss), 出入(in & out), 深浅(deep & shallow), 褒贬(praise & belittle), 悲欢(sad & happy)

But these biased combined words are mostly appears in ancient Chinese not modern. Some of them now have a fixed meaning rather than a contents based meaning. Like 国家(country only now).

These are my intuitive feelings.


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