抛开

• Pinyin: pāo kāi
• Hanzi breakdown: 抛 = 扌 + 孚 (cast outward); 开 = 廾 + 门 (open, release)

Meaning

Set aside; to put something out of one's mind or deliberately exclude a factor from consideration.

Often used in analytical or argumentative discourse to bracket off a variable so that another can be examined clearly. Also used emotionally to describe letting go of worries, grudges, or distractions.

Examples

1. 抛开价格因素，这款产品的品质确实出众。 Setting price aside, the quality of this product is truly outstanding.
2. 她努力抛开过去的痛苦，重新开始新的生活。 She worked hard to put the pain of the past behind her and start a new life.
3. 抛开政治立场不谈，双方在技术层面有很多共识。 Setting political positions aside, the two sides share a lot of common ground on the technical level.

Usage Guide

Context: analysis, discussion, emotional wellbeing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 抛开个人恩怨，我们应当以大局为重做出决策。(Setting aside personal grievances, we should make decisions with the broader picture in mind.)
• 她花了数年时间才真正抛开那段失败婚姻的阴影。(It took her several years to truly set aside the shadow cast by that failed marriage.)

Don't Say

• 请把书抛开放到书架上 — use 放 or 搁 for physically placing objects; 抛开 conveys deliberate mental exclusion, not a physical action

Origin & History

抛 (throw, cast) + 开 (open, away) — cast something away from oneself

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal