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排除 (pái chú) — to eliminate; to remove (obstacles, faults, dangers, etc.); to exclude; to rule out (possibilities, suspects, etc.)

Definition

A formal verb focused on actively ruling out unwanted things or possibilities. Unlike 消除 (eliminate something that exists, like a danger or doubt), 排除 is used when sifting through options to reject the wrong ones.

verb
to eliminateto remove (obstacles, faults, dangers, etc.)to excludeto rule out (possibilities, suspects, etc.)

Examples

  • 排除。
    Xiāo fáng yuán zhèng zài pái chú huǒ zāi yǐn huàn.
    The firefighters are eliminating fire hazards.
  • 排除。
    Jǐng fāng yǐ jīng pái chú le tā zuò àn de kě néng.
    The police have ruled out the possibility that he committed the crime.
  • 排除。
    Zhè cì xuǎn bá bǎ bù hé gé de rén pái chú zài wài.
    This selection excludes unqualified people.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

排páipush out
除chúremove

排 and 除 both convey pushing out or removing, together meaning to eliminate.

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

排 uses 扌 (hand) to show arranging something with the hand, and 非 for the sound; this gives the sense of placing things in a line.

Open 排 →

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
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