裁 (cái) — to cut (fabric, paper, etc.); to reduce, to cut back (staff, expenses, etc.)
Definition
裁 is a formal/literary verb for cutting material (cloth, paper) or reducing staff/spending. The everyday physical-cut verb is 剪; for trimming/repairing use 修理; for budget cuts use 削减 or 缩减.
verb
to cut (fabric, paper, etc.)to reduceto cut back (staff, expenses, etc.)
Examples
- 裁。Cái feng zhèng zài cái yì tiáo qún zi.The tailor is cutting a dress.
- ，裁。Yīn wèi jīng jì bù hǎo, gōng sī cái diào le shí míng yuán gōng.Because the economy is bad, the company laid off ten employees.
- 。Zhèng fǔ jué dìng cái jiǎn gōng gòng kāi zhī.The government decided to cut public spending.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢦏
𢦏𢦏裁cái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
裁 combines 衣 (clothing) with 𢦏, whose form is tied to a blade and an arrow, to show cutting fabric.
Appears in
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