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剥削 (bō xuē) — to exploit (people, labor)

Definition

剥削 (bōxuē) means 'to exploit' people or labor — a strongly negative word for unfair, systematic taking of value. Unlike neutral 利用 ('to use') or formal 开采 ('to extract' resources), 剥削 always implies injustice toward people.

verb
to exploit (people, labor)

Examples

  • 剥削。
    Zī běn jiā bō xuē gōng rén de láo dòng.
    Capitalists exploit the labor of workers.
  • 剥削。
    Zhè zhǒng zhì dù réng rán cún zài bō xuē xiàn xiàng.
    This system still has exploitation.
  • 剥削。
    Tā men jiān jué fǎn duì bō xuē xíng wéi.
    They firmly oppose exploitative behavior.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

剥bāostrip
削xiāoshave

The hanzi "剥" and "削" mean strip and shave, so together they suggest taking others' gains.

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 剝; 剥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù剝bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 剝 uses 彔 for its sound and 刂, a knife; the simplified 剥 is a later shorthand.

Open 剥 →

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
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào削xiāo
Same sound today

削 pairs 肖, which gives the sound, with 刀 (written as 刂), a knife, to show cutting or paring.

Open 削 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Society & Public Life

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