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拆 (chāi) — to take apart, to dismantle (a machine, building, etc.); to tear open (a letter, package, etc.)

Definition

拆 covers both senses: physically taking apart machines or buildings, and tearing open packages. Use 撕 (HSK7) for tearing paper/cloth casually; 拆除 is the formal written term specifically for demolishing structures.

verb
to take apartto dismantle (a machine, building, etc.)to tear open (a letter, package, etc.)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 拆。
    Tā bǎ jiù shǒu jī chāi le.
    He took apart the old phone.
  • 。
    Qǐng bāng wǒ chāi kāi zhè ge xìn fēng.
    Please help me tear open this envelope.
  • 拆。
    Gōng rén men zhèng zài chāi jiù fáng zi.
    The workers are tearing down the old house.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
斥
斥chì拆chāi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拆 uses 手 to show an action done by hand, with 斥 giving the sound. In an earlier related form, the hand part replaced an earth part to stress the action by hand.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 55000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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