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撇开 (piē kāi) — to set aside; to bypass (an issue, topic, etc.)

Definition

Literary verb meaning 'to set aside / leave out of consideration' an issue or factor. Often used with an object meaning 'this issue' or 'this question' to flag it as deliberately excluded.

verb
to set asideto bypass (an issue, topic, etc.)

Examples

  • 撇开，。
    Wǒ men zàn shí piē kāi zhè ge wèn tí, xiān tǎo lùn bié de.
    Let's set aside this issue for now and discuss something else first.
  • 撇开，。
    Tā gù yì piē kāi huà tí, bù xiǎng huí dá.
    He deliberately avoided the topic and didn't want to answer.
  • ？
    Zhè jiàn shì nǐ piě dé kāi ma?
    Can you set aside this matter?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

撇piěset aside
开kāiseparate

撇 means set aside and 开 shows separation, so it means leave aside.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì撇piě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

撇 uses 手 to show an action done with the hand and 敝 to give the pronunciation.

Open 撇 →

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
Change & Process

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