'Mortgage' is a financial arrangement where property (like a house or land) is pledged as security for a loan. The character 抵 (dǐ) means 'to offset', 'to counteract', or 'to resist', suggesting the use of an asset to cover or guarantee debt. The character 押 (yā) means 'to pledge', 'to deposit', or 'to hold as security' — it’s the same character used in words like 押金 (yājīn, 'deposit'). Together, 抵押 conveys the idea of using valuable property as collateral: the borrower 'offsets' potential default risk by 'pledging' ownership rights to the lender until the loan is repaid.

This term is common in real estate, banking, and legal contexts in Chinese-speaking regions. While it functions as both a noun ('a mortgage') and a verb ('to mortgage'), it almost always involves immovable property — homes, apartments, or commercial buildings — though occasionally high-value movable assets like vehicles or equipment may also be 抵押. It differs from 租赁 (zūlìn, 'leasing') or 购买 (gòumǎi, 'purchasing') because ownership remains with the borrower, but legal rights are temporarily transferred to secure repayment.