撕 (sī) - to tear & to rip

撕Tone 1

sī ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

撕 · sī

to tear;

to rip;

to strip off;

to pull apart forcefully.

to tearto ripto strip off

Usage highlights

tear uptear offtear aparttear to shredstear down posterstear up a contract

Synonyms

  • 扯— to pull, to tear (less intense than 撕)
  • 裂— to split, to crack
  • 撕破— to tear open, to rupture

Antonyms

  • 粘— to glue, to stick
  • 贴— to paste, to attach
  • 补— to mend, to repair

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She tore the paper into pieces (撕纸).
  • The poster was ripped off the wall (撕下海报).
  • He tore up the letter angrily (撕毁信件).
  • The fabric tore along the seam (布料撕开了).

Collocations

  • tear up(撕碎)
  • tear off(撕下)
  • tear apart(撕开)
  • tear to shreds(撕成碎片)
  • tear down posters(撕海报)
  • tear up a contract(撕毁合同)

Idioms

  • Tear heart裂肺 (撕心裂肺) — heartrending, agonizing
  • Tear up the agreement and repudiate it(撕毁协议)
  • Tear off the mask(撕下伪装)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 撕 embodies forceful separation, often used metaphorically for emotional rupture or conflict.
  • In modern contexts, 撕 is used in internet slang for public arguments or 'drama' (开撕).
  • The hand radical (扌) emphasizes manual action, reflecting the physical nature of tearing.

FAQ