Chinese word

割舍

Pronunciation

Pinyingē shě

Meaning

  • verbgive up

Example

她不想割舍他的旧照片。tā bù xiǎng gē shě tā de jiù zhào piān

She does not want to part with his old photos.

Illustration for 割舍 (give up)

More examples

我很难割舍这段回忆。wǒ hěn nán gē shě zhè duàn huí yì

I find it very hard to let go of these memories.

Core concept

The loosening of an emotional hold on someone or something without losing the feeling connected to it.

Common phrases

  • 割舍感情gē shě gǎn qíng

    let go of one's feelings

  • 难以割舍nán yǐ gē shě

    hard to let go of

  • 割舍过去gē shě guò qù

    let go of the past

Similar words

放弃fàng qì: Abandoning a wish, plan, or effort after deciding to stop pursuing it.
放手fàng shǒu: Letting go of control or involvement and allowing a person or thing to be free.
放下fàng xià: Letting go of a worry or emotional burden and becoming more at ease.
抛弃pāo qì: Discarding or leaving a person or thing behind in a forceful, often negative way.

Definition in Chinese

放弃对某人或某物的依恋或占有欲，但内心仍有不舍与留恋。fàng qì duì mǒu rén huò mǒu wù de yī liàn huò zhàn yǒu yù dàn nèi xīn réng yǒu bù shě yǔ liú liàn

Word origin

The compound joins 割 (gē, "cut apart") with 舍 (shě, "leave behind"), turning physical separation into the figurative act of letting go despite lingering attachment.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often reserve "part with" for possessions, but this Chinese verb naturally covers people, memories, and relationships as well as things.

Other meanings

  • abandonverb
  • part withverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word