剖

pōu

刂 + 咅

Definitions

pōu (verb) to cut open

pōu (verb) to analyze

Etymology

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

Semantic: 刂 Phonetic: 咅

About

The character 剖 is structured as a phono-semantic compound. Its right-hand component 刂 is a variant of 刀 (dāo, 'knife'), contributing the meaning of cutting or division. The left-hand component 咅 (pǒu) indicates the pronunciation. Originally, 剖 referred to the physical act of cutting something open, often through the center, or dividing a whole into separate parts. This concrete image of cutting later gave rise to figurative uses, where 剖 means to dissect or analyze, for instance in breaking down an argument, examining information in detail, or solving a complex problem.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

医生解剖了尸体。

Yīshēng jiěpō le shītǐ.

The doctor dissected the corpse.

他剖开了那个西瓜。

Tā pōukāi le nàge xīguā.

He cut open that watermelon.

我们需要剖析原因。

Wǒmen xūyào pōuxī yuányīn.

We need to analyze the reasons.

剖腹产是一种手术。

Pōufùchǎn shì yī zhǒng shǒushù.

Cesarean section is a type of surgery.

科学家解剖青蛙做实验。

Kēxuéjiā jiěpō qīngwā zuò shíyàn.

Scientists dissect frogs for experiments.

他仔细剖析了事件的经过。

Tā zǐxì pōuxī le shìjiàn de jīngguò.

He carefully analyzed the course of the event.

通过解剖学，我们了解人体结构。

Tōngguò jiěpōxué, wǒmen liǎojiě réntǐ jiégòu.

Through anatomy, we understand the structure of the human body.

这份报告剖析了经济危机的深层原因。

Zhè fèn bàogào pōuxī le jīngjì wēijī de shēncéng yuányīn.

This report analyzes the deep-seated reasons for the economic crisis.

Related Characters

Component: 刂

Component: 咅

剖