减 (jiǎn) - reduce, decrease, subtract & to lessen or diminish in quantity, degree, or

减Tone 3

jiǎn ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

嘉健

减 · jiǎn

reduce, decrease, subtract;

to lessen or diminish in quantity, degree, or intensity.

reduce, decrease, subtractto lessen or diminish in quantity, degree, or

Usage highlights

reduce weightdecrease speedtax reductionstaff reductionreduce pressurediscount

Synonyms

  • 少— few, less
  • 降— lower, descend
  • 缩— shrink, contract

Antonyms

  • 加— add, increase
  • 增— increase, augment
  • 多— many, much

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The company will reduce staff (减员).
  • We need to decrease expenses (减费).
  • The government implemented tax reduction policies (减税政策).
  • This medicine helps reduce fever (减热).

Collocations

  • reduce weight(减肥)
  • decrease speed(减速)
  • tax reduction(减税)
  • staff reduction(减员)
  • reduce pressure(减压)
  • discount(减价)

Idioms

  • To reduce what is superfluous and economize on expenses(减省开支)
  • To lighten punishment and reduce taxes(减刑减税)
  • To cut down the staff and improve efficiency(减员增效)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 减 reflects traditional Chinese values of moderation and frugality.
  • In mathematics, 减 represents the fundamental operation of subtraction.
  • Modern usage often appears in health and fitness contexts, particularly 减肥 (weight loss).

FAQ