Chinese Conversation · Level 21
90 words
Chinese word
撕
Pronunciation
Pinyinsī
Meaning
- verbtear
Example
孩子把作业本上的纸撕下来。hái zi bǎ zuò yè běn shàng de zhǐ sī xià lái
The child tore the paper out of the workbook.
More examples
她气得把照片撕成两半。tā qì de bǎ zhào piān sī chéng liǎng bàn
She was so angry that she tore the photo in half.
Core concept
Pulls part of a whole away by hand, either separating a layer or splitting the material.
Common phrases
撕成两半sī chéng liǎng bàn
tear in half
撕碎sī suì
tear to pieces
撕掉sī diào
tear off
Similar words
扯chě: Pull something hard by hand until it breaks away from its original whole.
拉lā: Pull something by hand to move it or change its position.
拆chāi: Take a box or package apart by removing its seal or connected parts.
剪jiǎn: Cut something into separate pieces with scissors or another tool.
Definition in Chinese
把物体的一部分用手从整体上撕下或分离的动作。bǎ wù tǐ de yí bù fèn yòng shǒu cóng zhéng tǐ shàng sī xià huò fēn lí de dòng zuò
Word origin
撕 (sī, "tear") contains 扌 (shǒu, "hand") + 斯 (sī, "this"); 扌 marks the hand action, while 斯 mainly supplies the pronunciation.
Usage tips
- English speakers often reserve "tear" for paper, but 撕 (sī, "tear") also naturally describes pulling off a sticker, label, or strip of tape.