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解约 (jiě yuē) — to terminate a contract (or agreement); to cancel a contract

Definition

解约 means to end a binding agreement — usually a contract or service deal between two parties. Wider in scope than 吊销 (which revokes an official license), and less about lifting a restriction than 解除.

verb
to terminate a contract (or agreement)to cancel a contract

Examples

  • 解约。
    Shuāng fāng xié shāng yī zhì hòu jiě yuē.
    The two parties terminated the contract after reaching a consensus.
  • ，解约。
    Rú guǒ duì fāng wéi yuē, nǐ kě yǐ tí chū jiě yuē.
    If the other party breaches the contract, you can propose to terminate it.
  • 解约。
    jiě yuē Xū yào tí qián sān shí tiān shū miàn tōng zhī.
    Terminating the contract requires a written notice thirty days in advance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

解jiěend
约yuēcontract

“解” ends and “约” contract, so it means to end a contract.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

解 shows 刀 (knife) separating 角 (horn) from 牛 (cow), giving the picture of cutting up an ox.

Open 解 →

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 約; 约 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo約yuē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 約 uses 糸, a rope, for its meaning and 勺 for its sound; the simplified 约 is a later shorthand.

Open 约 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Business & Commerce

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