The Chinese word **削减** is a compound formed by combining two characters with closely related meanings to create a stronger, more specific verb. The first character, **削** (*xuē*), originally means "to pare with a knife" or "to whittle down," carrying a sense of precise, sharp reduction. The second character, **减** (*jiǎn*), broadly means "to decrease," "to subtract," or "to reduce." When paired, they create a synergistic word that means "to cut down," "to slash," or "to reduce (often significantly or deliberately)," where **削** adds a nuance of active, forceful cutting to the general idea of reduction conveyed by **减**.