扯

• Pinyin: chě
• Hanzi breakdown: 扯 = 扌 (hand) + 止 (stop, phonetic)

Meaning

To pull; to tear; to talk nonsense; to chat aimlessly. A versatile colloquial verb.

Has multiple meanings: (1) physically pulling or tearing, (2) talking nonsense/making excuses, (3) casual chatting (扯淡, 闲扯). Very colloquial and common in spoken Chinese.

Examples

1. 别扯了，赶紧说正事。 Stop talking nonsense and get to the point.
2. 小孩使劲扯着妈妈的衣角不让她走。 The child tugged hard at his mother's clothes, not letting her leave.
3. 他们俩坐在那儿扯了一下午的闲天。 The two of them sat there chatting about nothing all afternoon.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, informal speech

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你别跟我扯这些没用的。(Don't give me this nonsense.)
• 他总是东扯西扯的，说不到重点。(He always rambles on and can't get to the point.)

Don't Say

• 请您扯一下这个话题 (扯 is too colloquial for formal requests — use 谈 or 讨论 in formal contexts)

Origin & History

An ancient character meaning to pull or tear. The colloquial meaning of 'talking nonsense' developed later, possibly from the idea of pulling topics randomly.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal