HSK 6

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

农民正在割麦子。
Nóngmín zhèngzài gē màizi.
The farmers are cutting wheat.
他用刀割断了绳子。
Tā yòng dāo gē duàn le shéngzi.
He used a knife to cut the rope.
割草机在工作。
Gē cǎo jī zài gōngzuò.
The lawn mower is working.
他割草。
Tā gē cǎo.
He cuts the grass.
我割面包。
Wǒ gē miànbāo.
I slice the bread.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of the left radical 刂 (knife) and the right part 害 (harm) – a knife that can cause harm by cutting. Associate it with mowing grass (割草) in a yard.

📝 Usage Notes

Used in both spoken and written Chinese, in formal and informal contexts. Common in practical situations involving cutting objects (like grass, crops, or meat) or metaphorically in abstract contexts (like giving up or dividing).

📖 Grammar Points

Often used as a transitive verb (e.g., 割草). Can be part of verb-complement structures like 割掉 (cut off) or 割开 (cut open).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In historical contexts, 割 appears in terms like 割地 (ceding territory), reflecting past political divisions. It's also used in idioms like 忍痛割爱 (reluctantly give up something cherished).

🔄 Similar Words

切 (qiē) also means 'to cut', but usually for slicing or dicing (e.g., food). 割 emphasizes a stronger, often coarser cutting action, like mowing or severing.

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