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减掉 (jiǎn diào) — to subtract; to lose (weight)

Definition

A colloquial resultative verb meaning 'to take off / lose by reducing.' Used for subtracting numbers and for losing weight — slightly less formal than 减少, which is the standard written term for 'to reduce.'

verb
to subtractto lose (weight)

Examples

  • 减掉。
    Cóng shí jiǎn diào sān shì qī.
    Subtract three from ten, and you get seven.
  • 减掉。
    Tā yí gè yuè jiǎn diào le wǔ gōng jīn.
    He lost five kilograms in one month.
  • 减掉。
    Wǒ xū yào jiǎn diào yì xiē gōng zuò.
    I need to cut down on some work.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

减jiǎnreduce
掉diàooff

减 reduce and 掉 off combine to mean subtract or lose.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 減; 减 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 減 has 氵, water, and 咸, a seal: sealing off a stream of water lessens its flow. The simplified 减 is a later abbreviation.

Open 减 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卓
卓zhuó掉diào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

掉 is built from 扌 (a hand) and 卓, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 掉 →
Appears in
Fitness & ExerciseMath

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