脱出 (tuō chū) — to take off, to remove (clothing, covering, etc.); to extricate oneself, to get out of (a situation, difficulty)

Definition

脱出 is a formal, written-style verb meaning to peel/come off or to escape a difficult situation. The first sense is physical (removing a covering); the second is abstract (getting out of trouble).

verb
to take offto remove (clothing, covering, etc.)to extricate oneselfto get out of (a situation, difficulty)

Examples

  • ，脱出。
    Tā zǒu jìn fáng jiān, xiān bǎ wài tào tuō chū le.
    He walked into the room and first took off his coat.
  • 脱出。
    Zhè ge biāo qiān hěn nán cóng píng zi shàng tuō chū.
    This label is hard to come off the bottle.
  • ，脱出。
    Jīng guò nǔ lì, tā zhōng yú tuō chū le kùn jìng.
    Through effort, he finally extricated himself from the predicament.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

脱tuōtake off
出chūout

脱 expresses taking off or getting free, and 出 adds the outward result.

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 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 →

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

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.