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解除 (jiě chú) — to lift, cancel, or remove (a restriction, embargo, agreement, etc.); to dismiss or relieve (someone from a position)

Definition

Used formally for lifting restrictions, contracts, or duties — broader in scope than 取消 (cancel a plan/event). For firing an employee, prefer 解雇; for exempting from penalties, see 免除.

verb
to liftcancelor remove (a restriction, embargo, agreement, etc.)to dismiss or relieve (someone from a position)

Examples

  • 解除。
    Tā men jué dìng jiě chú hé tong.
    They decided to cancel the contract.
  • 解除。
    Gōng sī jiě chú le tā de zhí wù.
    The company relieved him of his position.
  • 解除。
    Jǐng bào yǐ jīng jiě chú le.
    The alarm has been lifted.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

解jiěundo
除chúremove

解 means undo and 除 means take away; together they clear something away.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú除chú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

除 is built from 阜 and 余, with 余 giving the sound.

Open 除 →
Appears in
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