砍 (kǎn) — to chop, to cut down (with a blade or axe); to cut down, to reduce (e.g., cost, length, content); (colloquial) to throw something at someone
Definition
砍 is the everyday word for 'chop / cut down' with a blade or axe; in reduplicated colloquial use (砍砍) it also means to bargain hard. 劈 is more forceful ('hack, split'); 砍伐 is the formal term specifically for felling trees.
verb
to chopto cut down (with a blade or axe)to cut downto reduce (e.g., cost, length, content)(colloquial) to throw something at someone
Examples
- 砍。Tā yòng dāo kǎn mù tou.He chops wood with a knife.
- 砍。Gōng sī kǎn diào le jīn nián de yù suàn.The company cut this year's budget.
- 砍。Tā kǎn le wǒ yì shí tou.He threw a stone at me.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
砍 combines 石 (rock) and 欠, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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