Definitions

qiē (verb) to cut; to slice
qiè (adverb) definitely; absolutely
qiè (adjective) close to; eager

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "切" originates from a phono-semantic structure integrating the radical "刀", indicating a knife, with the component "七" serving a phonetic role, initially expressing the concrete action of cutting or severing with a blade. This fundamental meaning gradually extended into abstract realms, where the precision of cutting metaphorically informed concepts of close alignment or exact correspondence, as seen in terms describing ideas that fit precisely. Subsequent developments embraced connotations of urgency and earnestness, likening sharpness to emotional or situational intensity, while specialized applications emerged, such as in mathematics to denote tangency, all without departing from its original compositional elements or its enduring association with keen-edged instruments.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

妈妈在菜。

Māma zài qiē cài.

Mom is cutting vegetables.

他用刀面包。

Tā yòng dāo qiē miànbāo.

He uses a knife to cut bread.

老师很亲

Lǎoshī hěn qīnqiè.

The teacher is very kind.

都很顺利。

Yīqiè dōu hěn shùnlì.

Everything is going smoothly.

他的回答很题。

Tā de huídá hěn qiètí.

His answer is very to the point.

蛋糕的时候要小心。

Qiē dàngāo de shíhòu yào xiǎoxīn.

Be careful when cutting the cake.

为了健康,他掉了不良习惯。

Wèile jiànkāng, tā qiē diào le bùliáng xíguàn.

For health, he cut off bad habits.

在数学中,线与曲线相

Zài shùxué zhōng, qiēxiàn yǔ qūxiàn xiāngqiē.

In mathematics, a tangent line is tangent to the curve.