戩 (jiǎn) - To exterminate & to cut down

戩Tone 3

jiǎn ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

嘉健

戩 · jiǎn

To exterminate;

to cut down;

to destroy;

to remove.

Also used to mean 'complete' or 'perfect' in classical Chinese.

To exterminateto cut downto destroy

Usage highlights

exterminate rebelscut down weedsdestroy enemiescomplete virtueperfect goodnessremove obstacles

Synonyms

  • 滅— to destroy, to exterminate
  • 除— to remove, to eliminate
  • 剪— to cut off, to wipe out

Antonyms

  • 生— to give birth, to grow
  • 建— to build, to establish
  • 育— to nurture, to raise

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The army exterminated the rebels (戩滅叛軍).
  • He cut down the overgrown trees (戩除雜樹).
  • This is a perfect solution (戩善之法).
  • They worked to destroy the enemy forces (戩敵).

Collocations

  • exterminate rebels(戩滅)
  • cut down weeds(戩除)
  • destroy enemies(戩敵)
  • complete virtue(戩穀)
  • perfect goodness(戩善)
  • remove obstacles(戩礙)

Idioms

  • Perfect virtue and abundant happiness(戩穀罄宜)
  • Exterminate the wicked and promote the good(戩惡勸善)
  • Complete success without flaw(戩功全美)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'to cut' or 'to destroy' in oracle bone inscriptions, showing military action.
  • In classical texts, extended to mean 'complete' or 'perfect' through phonetic loan usage.
  • Appears in ancient texts like the Book of Songs with auspicious meanings of completeness.
  • Rare in modern usage except in literary contexts or classical references.

FAQ