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彻底 (chè dǐ) — thorough; complete

Definition

彻底 means 'thorough, complete' — the process or change is total, with nothing left over. Unlike 透彻 (which describes clear, penetrating analysis), 彻底 stresses the end result is fully done.

adjective
thoroughcomplete

Examples

  • 彻底。
    Wǒ men yí dìng yào chè dǐ jiě jué zhè ge wèn tí.
    We must completely solve this problem.
  • 彻底。
    Wǒ yǐ jīng chè dǐ wàng jì le nà jiàn shì.
    I have already completely forgotten that matter.
  • 彻底。
    Tā de jì huà xū yào chè dǐ gǎi biàn.
    His plan needs to be thoroughly changed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

彻chèpenetrate
底dǐbottom

The first part means to penetrate, and the second means the bottom, so together they suggest reaching through to the very bottom.

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 徹; 彻 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 徹 comes from a picture of 又 (hand) taking a 鬲 (pot) away after eating; 彻 is the simplified form of 徹.

Open 彻 →

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
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →
Appears in
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