TongTong
Sign in

修剪 (xiū jiǎn) — to prune; to trim; to clip

Definition

Means to cut back (branches, hair, nails, lawn edges) to shape or shorten. Distinct from 剪 (plain 'cut/shear') by implying care, shaping, or maintenance rather than a simple snip.

verb
to pruneto trimto clip

Examples

  • 修剪。
    Tā měi nián chūn tiān dōu huì xiū jiǎn guǒ shù de zhī tiáo.
    He prunes the fruit tree branches every spring.
  • 修剪。
    Qǐng bǎ zhǐ jia xiū jiǎn duǎn yì diǎn.
    Please clip your nails a bit shorter.
  • 修剪。
    Yuán dīng zhèng zài yòng dà jiǎn dāo xiū jiǎn cǎo píng de biān yuán.
    The gardener is trimming the edge of the lawn with large shears.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

修xiūtrim
剪jiǎncut

修剪 joins 修 (trim) and 剪 (cut), two parallel actions that together mean clipping branches.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
歬
歬qián剪jiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 剪, 刀 is the knife part and 歬 gives the sound. After 前 came to replace 歬, another 刀 was added to 剪.

Open 剪 →
Appears in
Plants & Flowers

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.