Definition

1. Verb:
   • To force; to compel: To make someone do something against their will, often using pressure, authority, or threats.
   • To press; to squeeze: To apply physical pressure to something, typically to extract liquid or flatten it.
   • To constrain; to confine: To push or hold someone or something tightly against another surface or into a limited space.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to force):

  • Không nên ép trẻ con học quá nhiều. (You shouldn't force children to study too much.)
  • Anh ta bị ép ký vào hợp đồng. (He was forced to sign the contract.)

• Verb (to press/squeeze):

  • Cô ấy ép một quả cam để lấy nước. (She pressed an orange to get the juice.)
  • Họ ép hoa vào trong sách để làm khô. (They press flowers in a book to dry them.)

• Verb (to constrain):

  • Xe tải lớn ép chiếc xe con vào lề đường. (The large truck forced the car onto the roadside.)
  • Tôi phải ép mình qua đám đông. (I had to squeeze myself through the crowd.)

Advanced Usage

• "ép buộc": to coerce, to compel (stronger than "ép" alone).

  • Sự ép buộc về tư tưởng là không thể chấp nhận. (Ideological coercion is unacceptable.)

• "ép giá": to force down a price; to pressure someone in a negotiation.

  • Họ cố tình ép giá sản phẩm của chúng tôi. (They deliberately tried to force down the price of our product.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cưỡng ép (v): to compel by force, to violate (often used in serious contexts like "cưỡng ép tình dục" - sexual assault).
• Ép dẻo (v): to laminate (a technical term for creating laminated materials like "ván ép dẻo" - plastic laminated board).
• Chín ép (adj): forced-ripe; describes fruit ripened artificially or a situation that is rushed and unnatural.

Synonyms

• Force: to make someone do something.
• Compel: to force or oblige someone to do something.
• Press: to apply steady force to.
• Squeeze: to press firmly from multiple sides.
• Coerce: to persuade someone using force or threats.

Related Idioms

• Ép duyên: to force a marriage (often against the will of one party).

  • Câu chuyện về người con gái bị ép duyên thật đáng buồn. (The story of the girl forced into marriage is very sad.)

• Ép nước ép đá: to squeeze water from a stone; to attempt the impossible.

  • Yêu cầu đó với anh ấy khác nào ép nước ép đá. (Asking that of him is like trying to squeeze water from a stone.)

verb

1. to force; to conpel
   • ép ai làm việc gì
     To force someone to do something to press; to extract by pressing
   • ép quả chanh
     To press a lemon