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剔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
剔tīpick (as teeth)zg, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #18717, Hard
剔tīto pick out; to scrape off; pickyzg, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #18717, Hard
剔tīto scrape the meat from bonesunknown, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #18717, Hard
剔tīto pick (teeth etc)unknown, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #18717, Hard
剔tīto weed outunknown, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #18717, Hard
tī(ti1) T1
  1. 1pick (as teeth)
  2. 2to pick out; to scrape off; picky
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
剔tī(ti1)

The character '剔' (tī) primarily means to pick or scrape something out, often referring to the act of cleaning teeth or removing meat from bones. It is used in contexts where precision and careful selection are involved, such as weeding out undesirable elements or being picky about choices.

Strokes10Radical刂Frequency#18717DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

'剔' is often used in culinary contexts, particularly in regions known for their intricate food preparation methods, such as Sichuan cuisine, where attention to detail is crucial in dish presentation and flavor extraction.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small, precise tool that scrapes away at stubborn bits of food stuck between teeth. The character '剔' resembles a knife (刀) combined with the action of picking (the radical '扌' suggests hand movements), making it easy to remember that it involves scraping or picking away at something.

Meanings of 剔

tī(ti1)
1pick (as teeth)
2to pick out; to scrape off; picky
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 剔

剔Simplified
10Strokes
刂Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#18717Frequency Rank

Podcast: 剔

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Podcast: 剔

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 剔

Quick Contrast

剔 (tī) vs 挑 (tiāo) — use 剔 when referring to scraping or cleaning out, while 挑 implies selecting or picking out with a focus on choice.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a small, precise tool that scrapes away at stubborn bits of food stuck between teeth. The character '剔' resembles a knife (刀) combined with the action of picking (the radical '扌' suggests hand movements), making it easy to remember that it involves scraping or picking away at something.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse '剔' with similar characters like '挑' (tiāo), which means to pick or choose. This word is more formal and is typically used in written contexts or when discussing food preparation. Be mindful of the proper pronunciation, particularly the tone (first tone).

HSK Study Tips

Although '剔' is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with other verbs related to actions of selection and removal. Focus on using it in conjunction with food-related vocabulary to enhance retention and contextual understanding.

Cultural Note

'剔' is often used in culinary contexts, particularly in regions known for their intricate food preparation methods, such as Sichuan cuisine, where attention to detail is crucial in dish presentation and flavor extraction.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use '剔' in informal contexts, where '挑' (tiāo) or '拿' (ná) would be more appropriate. For example, saying '我剔水果' (Wǒ tī shuǐguǒ - I pick fruit) should be corrected to '我挑水果' (Wǒ tiāo shuǐguǒ).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 剔

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Etymology of 剔

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 刂 represents the meaning and 易 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

knife

Semantic (meaning)刂
+
Phonetic (sound)易
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 剔?

Decomposition of 剔

IDS Structure⿰易刂
剔Full Character
=
易Yi4
left
刂dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 剔?

Write 剔

剔

Practice writing 剔 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 剔

剔 carries 5 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

把好的苹果挑出来,把坏的____出去.

Choose the good apples and reject the bad ones.

Example Sentences for 剔 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
把好的苹果挑出来,把坏的剔出去.

bǎ hǎo de píng guǒ tiāo chū lái, , bǎ huài de tī chū.

Choose the good apples and reject the bad ones.
2
尽管叫鱼贩子把比目鱼的鱼刺剔掉。

jìn guǎn jiào yú fàn zǐ bǎ bǐ mù yú de yú cì tī diào。

Don't be afraid to ask your fishmonger to fillet flat fish.
3
把你的鱼吃完,别太挑剔了.

bǎ nǐ de yú chī wán, , bié tài tiāo tī.

Eat up your fish and don't be so finicky.
4
她向外望去，注视着修剪得整整齐齐、无可挑剔的花园。

tā xiàng wài wàng qù， ， zhù shì zháo xiū jiǎn dé zhěng zhěng qí、 qí 、 wú kě tiāo tī de。

She stared out at the impeccably manicured garden.
5
剔了刺的鱼很容易烹制。

tī le cì de yú hěn róng yì pēng zhì。

The boned fish is so easy to serve.
6
根据物理上的理由,我们总是剔除把零作为本征函数.

gēn jù wù lǐ shàng de lǐ yóu, , wǒ mén zǒng shì tī chú bǎ líng zuò wéi běn zhēng hán.

We always reject zero as an eigenfunction on the ground of physics.
7
每当厨师挑剔我干的活儿时，我都非常沮丧。

měi dāng chú shī tiāo tī wǒ gān de huó ér shí， ， wǒ dū fēi cháng jǔ。

I was disappointed whenever the cook found fault with my work.
8
他们看来要剔除其中提到的一些想法——如把税率分档，使收入越高，缴得越多。

tā mén kàn lái yào tī chú qí zhōng tí dào de yī xiē xiǎng fǎ—— —— rú bǎ shuì shuài fēn， dàng ， shǐ shōu rù， yuè gāo ， jiǎo。

They appear to rule out some of the ideas that have been mentioned — banding the tax so higher earners would pay more.
9
冬山如玉, 玉龙飞舞, 晶莹剔透, 玉树琼枝, 银装素裹.

dōng shān rú yù, , yù lóng fēi, wǔ , jīng yíng, tī tòu , yù, shù qióng zhī ,.

Dongshan as jade, Yulong dancing, sparkling, Joan Yushu sticks, snow - wrapped.
10
她非常挑剔, 因些她的朋友都不喜欢跟她一起逛街.

tā fēi cháng tiāo tī, , yīn xiē tā de péng yǒu dū bù xǐ huān gēn tā yī qǐ guàng.

She's very fussy, so all her friends hate shopping with her.

Cultural Notes for 剔

🏮Cultural insight

'剔' is often used in culinary contexts, particularly in regions known for their intricate food preparation methods, such as Sichuan cuisine, where attention to detail is crucial in dish presentation and flavor extraction.

Word Family of 剔

Words Containing This Character6
挑剔tiāotipicky
剔除tīchúto reject
剔tīto weed out
剔牙to pick one's teeth
剔透pure and limpid
玲珑剔透exquisitely made玲瓏剔透
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 挑剔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 剔

Some common phrases include '剔牙' (tī yá), meaning 'to pick teeth,' and '剔除' (tī chú), meaning 'to eliminate' or 'to weed out'.