Definition
裁 (cái) has two main meanings: physically cutting fabric/paper (like a tailor) and reducing/cutting back staff or expenses. Unlike 剪 (jiǎn, everyday cutting with scissors), 裁 implies a deliberate, often decisive action. For reductions, 裁 is specific to personnel or decisive cuts, while 削减 (xuē jiǎn) focuses on reducing amounts or budgets more generally.
verb
to cut (fabric, paper, etc.)to reduceto cut back (staff, expenses, etc.)
Easily confused
- 依yīlook-alike(verb) to rely on, to depend on
- 才cáisound-alike(adverb, before quantity) only, merely
- 才cáisound-aliketalent, ability
- 猜cāisound-aliketo guess
- 菜càisound-alikedish; vegetable; cuisine
- 踩cǎisound-aliketo step on; to tread on
- 采cǎisound-aliketo pick, to pluck (flowers, fruit, tea)
Examples
- 裁。Cáifeng zhèngzài cái yì tiáo qúnzi.The tailor is cutting a dress.
- ，裁。Yīnwèi jīngjì bù hǎo, gōngsī cái diào le shí míng yuángōng.Because the economy is bad, the company laid off ten employees.
- 。Zhèngfǔ juédìng cái jiǎn gōnggòng kāizhī.The government decided to cut public spending.
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