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摆脱 (bǎi tuō) — to get rid of, to free oneself from (something negative or restrictive)

Definition

摆脱 means to actively break free from something negative (a habit, poverty, a shadow). Compared with 脱离 (simply to separate from) and 破除 (eliminate abstract ideas), it emphasizes personal effort to escape a bad state.

verb
to get rid ofto free oneself from (something negative or restrictive)

Examples

  • 摆脱。
    Tā nǔ lì bǎi tuō le huài xí guàn.
    He managed to get rid of his bad habits.
  • 摆脱。
    Zhè ge guó jiā zhōng yú bǎi tuō le pín kùn.
    This country finally freed itself from poverty.
  • 摆脱。
    Tā xiǎng yào bǎi tuō guò qù de yīn yǐng.
    She wants to break free from the shadow of the past.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

摆bǎishake
脱tuōdetach

摆 suggests shaking or throwing, while 脱 means coming loose, expressing a shake-off of a burden.

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 擺; 摆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
罷
罷bà擺bǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 擺 has 手 (hand) with 罷 giving the sound bà; the simplified 摆 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 摆 →

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 脫; 脱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì脫tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脫 puts ⺼ (meat) beside 兌, which gives the sound; the simplified 脱 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 脱 →
Appears in
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