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隔绝 (gé jué) — to isolate; to cut off completely

Definition

A formal/written verb meaning to cut off or isolate completely, often used in passive constructions (被隔绝) to describe places or people severed from the outside. Stronger and more total than the everyday 断绝 (to sever).

verb
to isolateto cut off completely

Examples

  • 隔绝。
    Zhè zuò xiǎo shān cūn yǔ wài jiè wán quán gé jué.
    This small mountain village is completely cut off from the outside world.
  • 隔绝。
    Cháng shí jiān de gū dú ràng tā yǔ péng you gé jué le.
    Long periods of loneliness isolated him from his friends.
  • 隔绝。
    Liǎng guó zhī jiān de jiāo liú bèi zhàn zhēng gé jué le.
    Communication between the two countries was cut off by war.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

隔géseparate
绝juécut off

Separate and cut off combine to mean being completely isolated.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fùwall
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬲
鬲gé隔gé
Same sound today

隔 puts 阝, a wall, with 鬲, which gives the sound gé, to show separating with a wall.

Open 隔 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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