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削 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
削xiāoto peel with a knifeHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xiāoto pareHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xiāoto reduceHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xiāoto cut (a ball at tennis etc)HSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xiāoto removeHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xiāoTaiwan pr. [xuè]HSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xiāoto pare, to scrape, to trimHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xiāoTaiwan pr. [xue4]HSK 7, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xuēto peel with a knifeHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xuēto pareHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xuēto reduceHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xuēto cut (a ball at tennis etc)HSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xuēto removeHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xuēTaiwan pr. [xuè]HSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xuēto pare, to scrape, to trimHSK 7, zg, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
削xuēTaiwan pr. [xue4]HSK 7, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 刂, rank #8535, Very Hard
xiāo(xiao1)xiao
primary
 T1
  1. 1to peel with a knife
  2. 2to pare
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March 24, 2026

削xiāo(xiao1)

The character 削 (xiāo) primarily means 'to pare' or 'to peel' something with a knife. It can also refer to the act of reducing or trimming, making it applicable in both culinary and metaphorical contexts, such as reducing expenses or cutting down on excess. This character is commonly used in conjunction with objects that can be cut or trimmed.

Strokes9Radical刂Frequency#8535DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese cooking, the act of 削 is often seen as an essential skill, reflecting the importance of presentation and preparation. This ties into the cultural value placed on food aesthetics and meticulous preparation in Chinese cuisine.

Memory tip

Imagine a chef named Xiao who expertly peels apples with a swift knife. The character 削 combines the radical 刀 (knife) on the left, hinting at its cutting action, and the phonetic component 𠂇, which sounds like 'xiao.' Visualize Xiao slicing through an apple, making it easier to remember the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 削

xiāo(xiao1)
primary
1to peel with a knife
2to pare
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 削

削Simplified
9Strokes
刂Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#8535Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

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Podcast: 削

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AI study notes for 削

Quick Contrast

削 (xiāo) vs 切 (qiē) — use 削 for paring or peeling, while 切 is for cutting in general.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 削 with 切 (qiē), which means 'to cut' more broadly and does not imply peeling or paring. The word can be used in both formal and informal settings, depending on the context, such as cooking or financial discussions. Common collocations include 削苹果 (xiāo píngguǒ) - to peel an apple.

HSK Study Tips

As a HSK Level 6 word, 削 connects with other verbs that describe actions involving tools or processes, such as 切 (qiē - to cut) and 划 (huá - to scrape). Students should focus on using this word in context, especially in cooking or discussions about reduction.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 削 with 切, using it incorrectly in contexts that don't involve peeling or trimming. For example, saying '我削面包' (wǒ xiāo miànbāo - I peel bread) is incorrect; instead, use '我切面包' (wǒ qiē miànbāo - I cut bread).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 削

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Etymology of 削

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

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

Memory hint

knife

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

Origin

削 = 刂 + 肖. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 削

IDS Structure⿰肖刂
削Full character
=
肖Xiao1
left
刂dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 削?

How to say to peel with a knife in Chinese

“to peel with a knife” in Chinese is削xiāo

The character 削 (xiāo) primarily means 'to pare' or 'to peel' something with a knife. It can also refer to the act of reducing or trimming, making it applicable in both culinary and metaphorical contexts, such as reducing expenses or cutting down on excess. This character is commonly used in conjunction with objects that can be cut or trimmed.

When to use 削

Be careful not to confuse 削 with 切 (qiē), which means 'to cut' more broadly and does not imply peeling or paring. The word can be used in both formal and informal settings, depending on the context, such as cooking or financial discussions. Common collocations include 削苹果 (xiāo píngguǒ) - to peel an apple.

削 or something close to it

削 (xiāo) vs 切 (qiē) — use 削 for paring or peeling, while 切 is for cutting in general.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 削 with 切, using it incorrectly in contexts that don't involve peeling or trimming. For example, saying '我削面包' (wǒ xiāo miànbāo - I peel bread) is incorrect; instead, use '我切面包' (wǒ qiē miànbāo - I cut bread).

Write 削

削

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

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Grammar patterns of 削

削 carries 8 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

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

制造商之间的恶性价格战已将利润____减到了最低。

A vicious price war between manufacturers has cut margins to the bone.

Example sentences for 削 (10)

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1
制造商之间的恶性价格战已将利润削减到了最低。

zhìzào Shāng zhījiān de èxìng jiàgé zhàn yǐ jiāng lìrùn xuējiǎn dào le zuì dī。

A vicious price war between manufacturers has cut margins to the bone.
2
这种水果刀削苹果皮很好用.

zhè zhǒng shuǐguǒ dāo xiāo píngguǒ pí hěn hǎo yòng.

These fruit knives are very good for stripping apple skins off.
3
他们将会考虑削减不必要的开销。

tāmen jiāng huì kǎolǜ xuējiǎn búbì yào de kāixiāo。

They will be concerned to cut back expenditure on unnecessary items.
4
这支部队不会容忍对其实力的削弱。

zhè zhī bùduì bù huì róngrěn duì qíshí lì de xuēruò。

The army will brook no weakening of its power.
5
她暗示说女性总是处在保持身材异常瘦削的压力之下。

tā ànshì shuō nǚxìng zǒngshì chǔzài bǎochí shēncái yìcháng shòu xiāo de yālì zhīxià。

She suggests that women are under constant pressure to be abnormally thin.
6
身材瘦削而且训练艰苦的女运动员行经可能不那么频繁，或者根本不来月经。

shēncái shòu xiāo érqiě xùnliàn jiānkǔ de nǚ yùndòngyuán xíng Jīng kěnéng bù nàme pínfán， huòzhě gēnběn bù lái yuè Jīng。

Lean hard-training women athletes may men-struate less frequently or not at all.
7
削减所得税的主要受益者将是谁？

xuējiǎn suǒ de shuì de zhǔyào shòuyì zhě jiāng shì shéi？

Who will be the main beneficiary of the cuts in income tax?
8
那条小路太高了, 从这儿把它削下去.

nà tiáo xiǎolù tài gāo le, cóng zhèr bǎ tā xiāo xiàqù.

That path is too high; level it down from there.
9
这些鞋子系廉价商品, 史密斯正在削价出售.

zhèxiē xié zi jì liánjià shāngpǐn, Shǐ mì Sī zhèngzài xiāo jià chūshòu.

These shoes are a bargain. Smith is closing them out.
10
大型工厂正试图通过削减成本以维持生存。

dàxíng gōngchǎng zhèng shìtú tōngguò xuējiǎn chéngběn yǐ wéichí shēngcún。

The big factories are trying to stay alive by cutting costs.

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Word Family of 削

Compounds1
揱xiāo
Words containing this character17
削xiāoto pare
削减xuējiǎnto cut down削減
削弱xuēruòto weaken
剥削bōxuēto exploit剝削
切削qiēxiāoto cut
剥削阶级bōxuējiējíexploiting class (in Marxist theory)剝削階級
瘦削shòuxuēslim
削球xiāoqiúto cut
剥削者bōxuēzhěexploiter (of labor)剝削者
刀削面dāoxiāomiànknife-shaved noodles (pared or shaved into strips), a Shanxi specialty刀削麵
削价xuējiàto cut down the price削價
削发xuēfàto shave one's head削髮
削足适履xuēzúshìlǚimpractical or inelegant solution削足適履
削除xuēchúto remove
削职为民xuēzhíwéimíndemotion to commoner (idiom)削職為民
陡削dǒuxiāoprecipitous
削波xuēbōclipping (signal processing)
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 削

What does 削减 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 削

You can say 削皮 (xiāo pí) for 'to peel' or 削减 (xiāo jiǎn) for 'to reduce'.

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