割 (gē) - To cut & to sever

割Tone 1

gē ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

割 · gē

To cut;

to sever;

to divide;

to give up;

to abandon.

Often used in contexts involving cutting, separation, or sacrifice.

To cutto severto divide

Usage highlights

To harvestTo cede territoryTo renounceSurgical operationTo cut fleshTo sever relations

Synonyms

  • 切— to cut, to slice
  • 砍— to chop, to hack
  • 断— to break, to sever

Antonyms

  • 接— to connect, to join
  • 合— to combine, to unite
  • 连— to link, to connect

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The farmer cuts wheat (割麦子).
  • The surgeon performed an operation (做手术).
  • They had to give up part of their territory (割让领土).
  • He felt torn between two choices (感到割舍不下).

Collocations

  • To harvest(收割)
  • To cede territory(割地)
  • To renounce(割舍)
  • Surgical operation(手术)
  • To cut flesh(割肉)
  • To sever relations(割断关系)

Idioms

  • To cut the wrist(割腕)
  • Ruthless and decisive(心如刀割)
  • To cut the queue(割尾巴)
  • To yield benefit at great cost(割股啖君)
  • To make a clear distinction(割席断交)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with territorial concessions and sacrifices in Chinese history.
  • The character appears in terms related to agriculture (harvesting) and medicine (surgery).
  • Used metaphorically in relationships to describe painful separations or difficult decisions.

FAQ