抛弃

• Pinyin: pāo qì
• Hanzi breakdown: 抛 = 扌 + 孚 (cast away); 弃 = 𠂉 + 去 (child put away, discard)

Meaning

Abandon; to desert or discard someone or something, often with a sense of betrayal or moral failure.

Carries a stronger emotional weight than 放弃. Used for abandoning people, values, or ideals in ways considered irresponsible or heartless. Common in literature, legal contexts, and discussions of social responsibility.

Examples

1. 父母无权以任何理由抛弃自己年幼的孩子。 Parents have no right to abandon their young children for any reason.
2. 他抛弃了多年的友谊，只为谋取一时的利益。 He threw away a friendship of many years just to gain a short-term benefit.
3. 这个民族从未抛弃过自己的传统文化。 This nation has never abandoned its traditional culture.

Usage Guide

Context: family, ethics, relationships, culture

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 在利益面前抛弃道义，终将自食恶果。(Those who abandon moral principles in the pursuit of profit will ultimately suffer the consequences.)
• 无论遭遇多大困境，她都没有抛弃对艺术的热爱。(No matter what hardship she encountered, she never abandoned her love for art.)

Don't Say

• 我抛弃了这个计划 — use 放弃 for giving up a plan; 抛弃 implies desertion of something or someone with a moral dimension

Origin & History

抛 (cast away) + 弃 (discard, abandon) — both characters reinforce deliberate rejection

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal