How to Write 迫 (pǎi/pò) — Meaning “To force; urgent”

Imagine a white (白) envelope being shoved at you urgently by a walking messenger (辶). The messenger is forcing you to take it because the message is pressing. This visual of a white object being pushed by movement helps link the shape to the meaning of 'urgent force'.

The 白 part must be written with straight strokes and a clear opening, not closed like a square. The 辶 radical’s last stroke (a long sweeping curve) should start under the left side of 白 and extend to the right, supporting the whole character. A common mistake is making the 辶 too short, which makes the character look unbalanced.

迫 contains 白 (white) and means 'to force or urgent', while 巡 (xún) has 巛 (three wavy lines) and means 'to patrol or go around'. 达 (dá) has 大 (big) and means 'to reach or achieve'. Visually, the top-right part is different, and their pronunciations and meanings are completely distinct.

迫 appears in common words like 迫切 (urgent) and 急迫 (pressing), often in formal or serious contexts about time or necessity. A famous idiom is 迫在眉睫 (pò zài méi jié), meaning 'urgent as if hair is being singed'—used to describe a crisis requiring immediate action. Note that in 迫击炮 (mortar), it is pronounced pǎi, not pò.

Common words containing 迫 include: 迫切 (pò qiè) — Urgent; pressing; 急迫 (jí pò) — Urgent; 迫击炮 (pǎi jī pào) — Mortar..