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减去 (jiǎn qù) — subtract, deduct

Definition

A formal/transitive verb for 'subtract / deduct' — emphasizes removing an amount from a total, more written than the everyday 减 (jiǎn) used in arithmetic.

verb
subtractdeduct

Examples

  • 减去。
    Shí jiǎn qù wǔ děng yú wǔ.
    Ten minus five equals five.
  • 减去。
    Gōng sī jiǎn qù le tā de jiā bān fèi.
    The company deducted his overtime pay.
  • 减去。
    Qǐng jiǎn qù zhè ge yuè de zū jīn.
    Please deduct this month's rent.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

减jiǎnsubtract
去qùaway

减 means subtract, and 去 means away, so 减去 means to subtract away.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 減; 减 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 減 has 氵, water, and 咸, a seal: sealing off a stream of water lessens its flow. The simplified 减 is a later abbreviation.

Open 减 →

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →
Appears in
Math

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