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脱节 (tuō jié) — (of objects) to come apart, to become disconnected; (figurative) to be out of touch, to be disconnected (from reality, practice, etc.)

Definition

Focuses on a gap opening up between two things that should match — concrete parts separating or (more often) abstract mismatches with reality. Lighter than 脱离 (a clean break from) and 断绝 (a decisive severing of ties).

verb
(of objects) to come apartto become disconnected(figurative) to be out of touchto be disconnected (from reality, practice, etc.)

Examples

  • 脱节。
    Tā de xiǎng fǎ yǔ shí jì qíng kuàng tuō jié le.
    His ideas are disconnected from the actual situation.
  • 脱节。
    Zhè ge jī qì de liǎng gè bù jiàn tuō jié le.
    The two parts of this machine have come apart.
  • ，脱节。
    Cháng qī bù xué xí, jiù huì yǔ shí dài tuō jié.
    If you don't study for a long time, you'll become disconnected from the times.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

脱tuōdetach
节jiéjoint

脱 gives detaching and 节 gives joints, meaning to come apart or be out of touch.

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 脫; 脱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì脫tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脫 puts ⺼ (meat) beside 兌, which gives the sound; the simplified 脱 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 脱 →

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 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

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