割

• Pinyin: gē
• Hanzi breakdown: 割 = 害 (phonetic component — harm/cut) + 刂 (knife/blade radical)

Meaning

To cut; to slice; to sever. Used for cutting with a sharp instrument, reaping crops, or severing ties.

A precise verb for cutting through something with a blade or sharp edge. Used literally in agriculture, surgery, and food preparation. Figuratively it conveys the pain of separation or sacrifice — 割舍 means to give up something precious, and 割断 means to sever a relationship or connection.

Examples

1. 秋收季节，农民们挥镰割稻，田野里呈现出一派丰收的热烈景象。 During the fall harvest, farmers swung their sickles to cut the rice, and the fields were filled with the lively scene of a bumper crop.
2. 外科医生以精准的手法割除了病灶组织，整台手术历时四小时后顺利完成。 With precise technique, the surgeon cut out the diseased tissue, and the four-hour operation was successfully completed.
3. 这段深埋心底的痛苦记忆如同利刃割肉，多年来令她难以释怀。 That deeply buried painful memory felt like a blade carving into flesh, making it hard for her to let go for years.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, surgery, figurative, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 手术中医生需要精确割除病变组织，避免伤及周围健康细胞。(During surgery, the doctor must precisely excise the diseased tissue to avoid damaging surrounding healthy cells.)
• 这段历史的创伤无法轻易割断，需要几代人共同努力才能真正愈合。(The wounds of this history cannot easily be severed — it will take the collective effort of generations to truly heal.)

Don't Say

• 割东西吃 — for cutting food to eat, 切 (slice) or 剁 (chop) are more natural; 割 emphasises severing rather than food preparation

Origin & History

割 = 害 (harm — phonetic) + 刂 (knife radical) — to cut with a blade

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal