减免

• Pinyin: jiǎn miǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 减 = 氵 (water) + 咸 (all, phonetic) — to lessen; 免 = pictograph of a running rabbit escaping, meaning to avoid or exempt

Meaning

To reduce or exempt; to waive partially or completely. Lessening or eliminating fees, taxes, or obligations.

Commonly used in financial, legal, and administrative contexts to describe partial reduction (减) or complete exemption (免) of payments, penalties, or obligations. Often appears in discussions of tax policy, tuition, fines, or other official charges.

Examples

1. 政府出台新政策，减免小微企业的部分税收。 The government introduced new policies to reduce or exempt some taxes for small and micro enterprises.
2. 这所大学为贫困学生提供学费减免和生活补助。 This university provides tuition reduction and living subsidies for students from impoverished families.
3. 法院决定减免他的部分罚款，考虑到他的家庭困难。 The court decided to reduce his fines, taking into account his family's difficult circumstances.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, government, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 申请减免手续费需要提供相关证明材料。(Applying for a fee waiver requires providing relevant supporting documents.)
• 这项政策可以减免企业百分之三十的税负。(This policy can reduce the corporate tax burden by thirty percent.)

Don't Say

• 用'减免'来描述非正式场合的折扣 (Don't use 减免 for casual discounts — use 打折 or 优惠; 减免 is for official reductions or exemptions)

Origin & History

Composed of 减 (to reduce) + 免 (to exempt). The combination covers the spectrum from partial reduction to complete waiver.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated speakers