About
The character 减 (traditional: 減) is a phono-semantic compound. Its left side features the water radical 氵, indicating an original connection to water. The right side, 咸, provides the phonetic element, though pronunciation has shifted over time. Initially, the character described the receding of water levels or the subsiding of a flood. From this specific environmental observation, its meaning broadened to represent the general concept of reduction, subtraction, or lessening, applicable to numbers, intensity, size, and abstract quantities.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
五减二等于三。
我要减少糖的摄入。
他每天运动以减肥。
司机在弯道减速。
公司计划削减开支。
学习如何减轻压力很重要。
政府致力于减少碳排放。
通过优化流程，生产效率得到了显著减少。