撩开 (liāo kāi) — to push aside (curtains, hair, branches, etc.); to cast aside, to put aside (a topic, feeling, or burden)

Definition

A physical 'push/lift aside' of something covering (curtains, hair, branches) to see what's underneath; by extension, to mentally 'set aside' a worry or thought. More concrete and intentional than 抛开 (which means 'cast off' a problem or constraint).

verb
to push aside (curtains, hair, branches, etc.)to cast asideto put aside (a topic, feeling, or burden)

Examples

  • 撩开，。
    Tā qīng qīng liāo kāi chuāng lián, kàn le kàn wài miàn de tiān qì.
    She gently pushed aside the curtain and looked at the weather outside.
  • 撩开，。
    Tā liāo kāi yǎn qián de tóu fa, lù chū le wēi xiào.
    He pushed aside the hair in front of his eyes and revealed a smile.
  • ，撩开。
    Bié zǒng xiǎng nà xiē fán xīn shì, xiān liāo kāi zài shuō ba.
    Don't keep thinking about those worries — put them aside for now.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

撩liáolift/push aside
开kāiopen

“撩” means to lift or push aside, and “开” indicates opening, so the action clears something away.

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
尞
尞liáo撩liāo
Same sound today

撩 has 手 (hand) and 尞; 尞 gives it the pronunciation liáo.

Open 撩 →

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 →

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