清除

• Pinyin: qīng chú
• Hanzi breakdown: 清 = 氵+ 青 (clear/clean); 除 = 阝+ 余 (remove/eliminate)

Meaning

To clear away; to eliminate; to remove completely. Used for physical removal, deletion of data, or eradicating problems and unwanted elements.

Versatile verb used in technical, military, political, and daily contexts. Common collocations: 清除障碍, 清除病毒, 清除垃圾, 清除隐患. Implies thorough and complete removal, often with a sense of resolution.

Examples

1. 技术团队连夜排查，最终成功清除了系统中潜伏的恶意软件。 After investigating overnight, the technical team finally removed the malware that had been lurking in the system.
2. 市政部门调派专业人员清除路面积雪，确保车辆安全通行。 The city dispatched specialized crews to clear snow off the roads to ensure vehicles could pass safely.
3. 只有彻底清除腐败根源，才能从制度层面重建公众对政府的信任。 Only by eliminating the root causes of corruption can we rebuild public trust in the government at the institutional level.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, public administration, military, daily life

Tone: decisive

Do Say

• 系统管理员定期清除缓存文件，以维持服务器的最佳运行状态。(The system administrator regularly clears cache files to maintain the server's optimal operating condition.)
• 政府宣布将集中力量清除公路沿线的违章建筑，恢复道路通行秩序。(The government announced it will concentrate resources on clearing illegal structures along the highway to restore road traffic order.)

Don't Say

• 我清除了我的坏习惯 — use 改掉 or 克服 for overcoming personal habits; 清除 suggests physical or systematic removal, not personal behavioural change

Origin & History

清 (clear/clean) + 除 (remove/eliminate) — to clean out and remove

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal