godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Basic physical action: moving something or someone away or forward by applying force.
ドアを押して開けてください。
Please push the door open.
人を後ろから押さないでください
Please don't push people from behind.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
press down; press a button; apply pressure
Only when written 押す / 圧す
Used when pressing downward or inward, especially buttons, switches, keys, or a spot on the body. 圧す is a attested but search-only spelling for the pressure nuance.
このボタンを押すと、ドアが開きます。
If you press this button, the door opens.
痛いところを強く押さないでください。
Please don't press hard on the painful spot.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
stamp; affix a seal
Only when written 押す / 捺す
Common with 印鑑, 判, はんこ, and similar words meaning to stamp or affix a seal. 捺す is a specialized search-only spelling for this use.
契約書に印鑑を押してください。
Please stamp your seal on the contract.
ここに判を押せば手続きは終わりです。
Once you stamp your seal here, the procedure is finished.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
apply by pressing on; affix gold leaf
Specialized craft use, especially for pressing or applying thin material such as gold leaf onto a surface.
職人が仏像に金箔を押す。
The artisan applies gold leaf to the Buddhist statue.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
press someone; push someone to agree; put pressure on
Social or persuasive pressure rather than physical force; often appears in passive forms such as 押されて when someone gives in to pressure.
店員に強く押されて、高いプランを契約してしまった。
The salesperson pressed me hard, and I ended up signing up for an expensive plan.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
be overwhelmed; be overpowered; be outmatched
Only when written 押す / 圧す
Usually used in the passive, as in 勢いに押される or 迫力に押される, where one is overwhelmed by another force, mood, or opponent.
相手の迫力に押されて、何も言えなかった。
I was overwhelmed by the other person's intensity and couldn't say anything.
終盤は相手の勢いに押された。
In the final stage, we were overpowered by the opponent's momentum.
godan verb (-su), intransitive verb
push ahead; proceed with; stick to
Intransitive strategic use, often with で: to keep pushing a policy, plan, opinion, or stance without changing course.
会議ではこの案で押すつもりです。
At the meeting, I intend to push ahead with this proposal.
彼は最後まで強気で押した。
He stuck with an aggressive stance to the end.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
do despite; brave; push aside
Fixed pattern ...を押して..., meaning to go ahead despite illness, opposition, bad weather, or another obstacle.
彼は病気を押して会議に出席した。
He attended the meeting despite being ill.
救助隊は嵐を押して現場へ向かった。
The rescue team braved the storm and headed to the site.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
make sure; double-check; emphasize as a reminder
Most commonly used in the fixed expression 念を押す, meaning to make sure by checking or reminding someone explicitly.
See also: 念を押す
集合時間を間違えないよう、彼に何度も念を押した。
I reminded him again and again so he would not get the meeting time wrong.
godan verb (-su), intransitive verb
run late; fall behind schedule
Intransitive schedule use: a meeting, work, construction, or program is taking longer than planned.
会議が押して、昼休みが短くなった。
The meeting ran late, so the lunch break became shorter.
工事は予定より一週間押している。
The construction work is one week behind schedule.
godan verb (-su), intransitive verb
push in go; extend stones forward against an opponent
Go-game terminology for a move that advances one's stones by pushing against the opponent's stones.
See also: オシ
黒は右辺で押して、白に受けさせた。
Black pushed on the right side, forcing White to respond.