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取舍 (qǔ shě) — to choose between options; to decide what to accept and what to reject

Definition

取舍 names the act of weighing gains and losses to decide what to keep and what to give up. It frames the choice itself rather than the final decision (决定) or the act of picking (选择).

verb
to choose between optionsto decide what to accept and what to reject

Examples

  • ，取舍。
    Zài rén shēng de guān jiàn shí kè, wǒ men bì xū zuò chū míng zhì de qǔ shě.
    At critical moments in life, we must make wise choices.
  • 取舍，。
    Zhè ge fāng àn xū yào zǐ xì qǔ shě, bù néng cǎo shuài jué dìng.
    This plan requires careful consideration of pros and cons; you can't decide hastily.
  • 取舍，。
    Tā jīng guò fǎn fù qǔ shě, zuì zhōng xuǎn zé le cí zhí chuàng yè.
    After weighing the options repeatedly, he finally chose to resign and start his own business.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

取qǔtake
舍shègive up

取 means to take and 舍 means to give up, so the pair names choosing between accepting and rejecting.

Characters in this word

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

取 pairs 又 (hand) with 耳 (ear), showing a hand taking an ear, as in taking the ear of fallen prey.

Open 取 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú舍shè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

舍 is 余 plus 口. 余 was the original picture for this word, and 口 was later added to distinguish it.

Open 舍 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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