支解 (zhī jiě) — to dismember, to cut up (a body)

Definition

Dismembering or cutting up a body — used in historical and criminal contexts like 肢解, which is the more common modern form.

verb

to dismemberto cut up (a body)

Easily confused

支解。
Gǔ dài yǒu yì zhǒng cán kù de xíng fá jiào zhī jiě.
In ancient times there was a cruel punishment called dismemberment.
支解。
Xiōng shǒu jiāng shī tǐ zhī jiě hòu diū qì.
The murderer dismembered the body and discarded it.
支解。
Zhè ge àn jiàn shè jí duì shòu hài zhě de zhī jiě.
This case involves the dismemberment of the victim.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

解jiěcut apart

支 refers to limbs, and 解 means to cut apart, so 支解 means to dismember a body.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

又十支

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

角刀牛解

解 shows 刀 (knife) separating 角 (horn) from 牛 (cow), giving the picture of cutting up an ox.