Definitions

shān to delete

Etymology

To cut  out passages from a book 

About

The character "删", originating from its traditional form "刪", structurally integrates the component "册" denoting bound bamboo slips used for writing and "刀" representing a knife, which together depict the concrete action of cutting away or scraping off characters from these ancient documents. This etymology firmly established its initial meaning as the physical removal of text, a practice essential to editing in early manuscript culture. Over time, as writing mediums shifted from bamboo to paper, the character's meaning expanded from literal excision to encompass the broader conceptual acts of deleting, omitting, or revising content within any written work, thereby preserving its editorial core while adapting to new contexts. The simplified form continues to embody these foundational elements, linking the character's modern function to its historical origins in textual alteration.

Etymology Hide

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

Example Sentences Hide

除了旧文件。

Tā shānchúle jiù wénjiàn.

He deleted the old files.

请把这条错误信息掉。

Qǐng bǎ zhè tiáo cuòwù xìnxī shān diào.

Please delete this error message.

如果你不喜欢这张照片,就掉吧。

Rúguǒ nǐ bù xǐhuān zhè zhāng zhàopiàn, jiù shān diào ba.

If you don't like this photo, just delete it.

管理员有权除不当的评论。

Guǎnlǐyuán yǒu quán shānchú bùdàng de pínglùn.

Administrators have the right to delete inappropriate comments.

这篇作文需要去多余的部分。

Zhè piān zuòwén xūyào shān qù duōyú de bùfèn.

This essay needs to have its redundant parts removed.

在发布之前,他反复改了文章的关键段落。

Zài fābù zhīqián, tā fǎnfù shān gǎile wénzhāng de guānjiàn duànluò.

Before publishing, he repeatedly deleted and revised key paragraphs of the article.

电影审查制度导致了许多镜头被强行减。

Diànyǐng shěnchá zhìdù dǎozhìle xǔduō jìngtóu bèi qiángxíng shānjiǎn.

The film censorship system resulted in many scenes being forcibly cut.

为了控制篇幅,编辑建议繁就简,突出重点。

Wèile kòngzhì piānfú, biānjí jiànyì shān fán jiù jiǎn, tūchū zhòngdiǎn.

To control the length, the editor suggested simplifying by deleting the complex and keeping the simple, to highlight the main points.