关掉

• Pinyin: guān diào
• Hanzi breakdown: 关 = 丷 + 天 (sky) — original sense of a door bar or gate; extended to turning something off; 掉 = 扌 (hand) + 卓 (stand out; tall) — to drop or fully complete an action

Meaning

To turn off; to switch off; to shut down completely. Used for electronic devices, lights, taps, applications, or any system that needs to be deactivated.

关掉 is a common resultative verb compound: 关 (to close/turn off) + 掉 (resultative complement indicating the action is fully completed). Applicable to a wide range of objects — lights (灯), taps (水龙头), phones (手机), apps (应用程序), and machines (机器). The 掉 suffix emphasises that the turning off is thorough and final.

Examples

1. 睡前记得把所有电灯和电器都关掉，培养节能减排的生活好习惯。 Before going to bed, remember to turn off all the lights and appliances and build a good habit of saving energy and reducing emissions.
2. 会议室里有人忘了关掉投影仪，结果白白耗电一整晚。 Someone forgot to turn off the projector in the conference room, so it wasted electricity all night long.
3. 她在图书馆专心阅读时，习惯把手机关掉，以免打扰旁边的读者。 When she reads in the library, she’s in the habit of turning off her phone so it won’t disturb nearby readers.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, technology, environment

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 出门前记得把燃气阀门和所有电源都关掉，安全第一。(Before going out, remember to turn off the gas valve and all power switches — safety first.)
• 把那个烦人的广告关掉，我需要专心处理这份报告。(Turn off that annoying ad — I need to focus on this report.)

Don't Say

• 将'关掉'用于正式场合描述终止合同、关停公司或停业整顿 — 关掉 suits physical devices and informal contexts; use 终止合同、关闭公司 or 停业整顿 for formal business closures

Origin & History

关 (to close; to turn off) + 掉 (resultative complement indicating completion of an action). Together: to successfully and fully close or switch off.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal