削

• Pinyin: xiāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 刂= knife radical; 肖 = 小 + 月 (flesh reduced to small) — to whittle down

Meaning

To peel; to pare; to shave off the outer layer of something using a blade.

Refers to the act of cutting away surface material with a knife or blade, typically applied to fruit, pencils, or wood. Also used metaphorically in classical contexts for cutting down or diminishing.

Examples

1. 她用水果刀仔细地削去苹果的外皮，动作娴熟而流畅。 She carefully peeled the apple with a paring knife, her movements skilled and smooth.
2. 父亲用小刀替儿子削铅笔，每一刀都削得整齐均匀。 The father used a small knife to sharpen his son’s pencil, making each cut neat and even.
3. 工匠用刨子削去木板的表面，使其变得光滑平整。 The craftsman used a plane to shave off the surface of the wooden board, making it smooth and flat.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, crafts, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 削苹果时要注意刀的方向，以免划伤手指。(When peeling an apple, pay attention to the direction of the knife to avoid cutting your fingers.)
• 他把木棒的两端都削尖了，以便插入泥土中固定。(He sharpened both ends of the wooden stick by paring them, so they could be pushed into the soil for support.)

Don't Say

• 削他的工资 — use 削减 or 扣减 for cutting someone's salary; 削 alone implies physical paring, not financial reduction

Origin & History

刂(knife radical) + 肖 (resembling/small) — to cut away with a blade until something is reduced

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal