去掉

• Pinyin: qù diào
• Hanzi breakdown: 去 = 土 (earth) + 厶 (private) — to go, remove; 掉 = 扌(hand) + 卓 (tall) — to fall, away

Meaning

To remove; to get rid of; to eliminate. Taking away or deleting something unwanted.

A versatile verb compound used for removing physical objects, deleting digital content, eliminating habits, or getting rid of stains. More colloquial than 去除 or 消除. Can apply to both concrete and abstract things.

Examples

1. 请把这段话里的错别字去掉。 Please remove the typos from this paragraph.
2. 这个污渍用洗衣液应该能去掉。 This stain should come off with laundry detergent.
3. 他努力想要去掉咬指甲的坏习惯。 He's working hard to get rid of the bad habit of biting his nails.

Usage Guide

Context: editing, cleaning, habits

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 把这个去掉。(Remove this.)
• 怎么把这个痕迹去掉？(How do I get rid of this mark?)

Don't Say

• 不要把'去掉'和'丢掉'混淆 (去掉 means to remove; 丢掉 means to throw away or lose — slightly different nuances)

Origin & History

Compound of 去 (go, remove) and 掉 (fall, away — resultative complement). Together they indicate successful removal.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal