推倒 (tuī dǎo) — to push over; to knock down (physically); to overthrow; to overturn (government, system, authority); to repudiate; to cancel (a decision, plan, argument)

Definition

推倒 is both literal (push something physical over) and figurative (overthrow a regime or repudiate a plan). In abstract uses it implies actively knocking down something established, not merely dropping it.

verb
to push overto knock down (physically)to overthrowto overturn (government, system, authority)to repudiateto cancel (a decision, plan, argument)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 推倒。
    Tā bǎ nà dǔ qiáng tuī dǎo le.
    He pushed over that wall.
  • 推倒。
    Gé mìng zhě shì tú tuī dǎo jiù zhèng quán.
    The revolutionaries tried to overthrow the old regime.
  • ，推倒。
    Yóu yú zī jīn bù zú, tā men tuī dǎo le kuò jiàn jì huà.
    Due to insufficient funds, they canceled the expansion plan.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

推tuīpush
倒dǎofall over

推 means push and 倒 means fall over, giving push until it falls.

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
隹
隹zhuī推tuī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌 is a hand, and the right side 隹 gives the sound; the character shows pushing with the hand.

Open 推 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
到
到dào倒dào
Same sound today

倒 combines 亻 (person) with 到, which gives the sound.

Open 倒 →

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