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去除 (qù chú) — to remove, to eliminate

Definition

General 'to remove / eliminate' for unwanted things (stains, habits, obstacles). Broader and more everyday than 排除 (focused on obstacles/possibilities) and 切除 (surgical only).

verb
to removeto eliminate

Examples

  • 去除。
    Zhè zhǒng yào gāo kě yǐ qù chú pí fū shàng de bā hén.
    This ointment can remove scars on the skin.
  • 去除。
    Wǒ men xū yào qù chú zhè xiē bù liáng xí guàn.
    We need to eliminate these bad habits.
  • 去除。
    Yòng zhè ge gōng jù kě yǐ qù chú qiáng shàng de wū zì.
    Use this tool to remove stains on the wall.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

去qùremove
除chúeliminate

去 “remove” and 除 “eliminate” are near-synonyms, together meaning remove.

Characters in this word

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →

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
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú除chú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

除 is built from 阜 and 余, with 余 giving the sound.

Open 除 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Change & Process

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