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枪毙 (qiāng bì) — to execute by firing squad; to shoot dead; (figurative) to discard; to get rid of; to reject (a plan, proposal, etc.)

Definition

Literally 'execute by firing squad', used figuratively to reject or kill off a plan, proposal, or idea. Stronger and more dramatic than 剔除 or 抛弃; colloquial for scrapping something decisively.

verb
to execute by firing squadto shoot dead(figurative) to discardto get rid ofto reject (a plan, proposal, etc.)

Examples

  • 枪毙。
    Nà ge fàn rén bèi qiāng bì le.
    That criminal was executed by firing squad.
  • ，枪毙。
    Zhè ge jiù shǒu jī tài màn le, wǒ zhǔn bèi qiāng bì.
    This old phone is too slow; I'm going to get rid of it.
  • 枪毙。
    Tā de jiàn yì bèi lǎo bǎn qiāng bì le.
    His suggestion was rejected by the boss.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

枪qiāngshoot
毙bìdie

枪 (shoot) and 毙 (die) combine to mean shoot someone to death.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng槍qiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Open 枪 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 斃; 毙 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
死死sǐdeath
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì斃bì
Same sound today

The traditional form 斃 combines 死, meaning death, with 敝, which gives the sound. The simplified 毙 is a later shorthand.

Open 毙 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Crime & Police

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