拆 (chāi) - To tear down, dismantle, take apart & to open (a letter, package)

拆Tone 1

chāi ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 扌

偲嫦

拆 · chāi

To tear down, dismantle, take apart;

to open (a letter, package);

to analyze;

to rent out (archaic).

To tear down, dismantle, take apartto open (a letter, package)to analyze

Usage highlights

Demolish a buildingDismantle equipmentOpen a letterAnalyze charactersDisassembleDemolition team

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 建— build, construct
  • 装— install, assemble
  • 封— seal, close up

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The workers are demolishing the old building (拆房子).
  • Please open the package (拆包裹).
  • They are dismantling the machine for repair (拆机器).
  • This word can be analyzed into components (拆字).

Collocations

  • Demolish a building(拆房子)
  • Dismantle equipment(拆设备)
  • Open a letter(拆信)
  • Analyze characters(拆字)
  • Disassemble(拆卸)
  • Demolition team(拆迁队)

Idioms

  • Over the bridge then dismantle it(过河拆桥)
  • Dismantle the east wall to repair the west wall(拆东墙补西墙)
  • Dismantle the roof to reveal the rafters(拆屋露椽)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character combines the hand radical (扌) with 斥 (chì), suggesting the action of pushing away or separating components by hand.
  • In modern urban China, 拆迁 (chāiqiān) refers to the widespread practice of demolishing old neighborhoods for redevelopment, carrying significant social implications.
  • In character analysis, 拆字 refers to the practice of decomposing characters into components for fortune-telling or word games.

FAQ