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岔开 (chà kāi) — to branch off; to diverge (of a path); to diverge to another topic; to change the subject; to stagger (times); to space out

Definition

A verb that means 'to branch off' in two senses: a physical path splitting into two, or a conversation veering to a different topic. In the 把 construction, it can also mean to stagger or space things out (e.g. times).

verb
to branch offto diverge (of a path)to diverge to another topicto change the subjectto stagger (times)to space out

Examples

  • 岔开，。
    Zhè tiáo lù zài qián miàn chà kāi le, yì tiáo wǎng dōng yì tiáo wǎng xī.
    This road branches off ahead, one going east and one going west.
  • ，岔开。
    Tā bù xiǎng huí dá nà ge wèn tí, jiù chà kāi le huà tí.
    He didn't want to answer that question, so he changed the subject.
  • ，岔开。
    Wèi le jiǎn shǎo yōng jǐ, gōng sī bǎ bù tóng bù mén de shàng bān shí jiān chà kāi le.
    To reduce crowding, the company staggered the work hours of different departments.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

岔chàfork; divert
开kāiopen; away

岔 points to a fork or diversion, while 开 adds the sense of opening away, so the action turns aside or spaces out.

Characters in this word

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

岔 combines 分 (split; division) and 山 (mountain), showing a mountain divided into branches.

Open 岔 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechDirections

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