拆除

• Pinyin: chāi chú
• Hanzi breakdown: 拆 (tear down) + 除 (remove, eliminate)

Meaning

To demolish; to dismantle; to remove.

More formal than 拆, often used in official or news contexts for demolition of buildings, removal of structures, or elimination of systems. Common in urban planning and construction.

Examples

1. 政府决定拆除这些违章建筑。 The government decided to demolish these illegal buildings.
2. 为了修建地铁，沿线的部分房屋将被拆除。 To build the subway, some houses along the route will be demolished.
3. 炸弹已被安全拆除。 The bomb has been safely dismantled.

Usage Guide

Context: news, government, construction

Tone: official

Do Say

• 违章建筑必须拆除。(Illegal structures must be demolished.)
• 拆除工作已经开始。(The demolition work has begun.)

Don't Say

• 日常说'拆除包裹'——用'拆开'更自然 (Don't say 拆除包裹 in daily speech — 拆开 sounds more natural)

Origin & History

Compound of 拆 (dismantle) + 除 (remove), meaning 'to dismantle and remove.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal