The core meaning of the kanji 抑抑 is "to suppress," "to restrain," "to control," or "to curb." It implies holding something back, preventing it from expressing itself fully, or keeping it under control. This can apply to various things, from physical actions to emotions or ideas.

・On-yomi (音読み): ヨク (yoku) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): おさ-える (osa-eru) - to suppress, to restrain

⚫︎抑制 (ヨクセイ) Translation: Suppression; restraint; control ⚫︎感情を抑える (かんじょうを おさえる) Translation: To suppress one's emotions; to control one's feelings ⚫︎抑圧 (ヨクアツ) Translation: Oppression; suppression

The kanji 抑抑 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. The left side is the radical 手 (て, te), meaning "hand," and it provides the meaning component. The right side is 阝 (おおざと, oo-zato), a phonetic component, also used in other kanji, which gives a suggestion of the sound. Together, they combine to form the idea of using a hand to hold back or control something. The "hand" radical suggests the action of restraining, and the phonetic part suggests a sound associated with the action. It originally depicted a person pressing down with their hands.