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驱除 (qū chú) — to drive out, to eliminate

Definition

A formal verb meaning to drive out or get rid of something unwanted (pests, disease, fear, corruption). More forceful than 消除 ('remove/eliminate') and emphasizes expelling rather than erasing.

verb
to drive outto eliminate

Examples

  • 驱除。
    Zhè xiē chóng zi hěn nán qū chú gān jìng.
    These insects are hard to eliminate completely.
  • 驱除。
    Zhèng fǔ cǎi qǔ cuò shī qū chú fǔ bài.
    The government took measures to drive out corruption.
  • 驱除。
    Wǒ men xū yào qū chú xīn zhōng de kǒng jù.
    We need to eliminate the fear in our hearts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

驱qūdrive out
除chúremove

驱 drive out and 除 remove make eliminating something.

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 驅; 驱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū驅qū
Same sound today

The traditional form 驅 pairs 馬 (horse) with 區 as a sound part; simplified 驱 is a later shorthand.

Open 驱 →

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
Change & Process

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