切 qiè close
close; eager; earnest; to cut
qiē (to cut) and qiè (close; eager): 切菜 qiē cài chop vegetables, 一切 yíqiè everything
How to remember 切: 七 seven + 刀 knife = close. Grandpa lines up seven carrots and holds his sharpest knife so close to his fingers that grandma looks away.
Component breakdown
切 = 七 seven + 刀 knife
- 七 seven
- 刀 knife
Grandpa lines up seven carrots and holds his sharpest knife so close to his fingers that grandma looks away.
How it came to be
A stroke cut straight through another, the seven block, with a knife beside it. It meant cutting before it became the number seven. The character gives the old sense its blade back.
How it is used
- Two readings. qiē = to cut/slice: 切菜 (qiē cài) chop vegetables, 切换 (qiēhuàn) switch over.
- qiè = close/earnest/eager: 亲切 (qīnqiè) warm, 密切 (mìqiè) close, 迫切 (pòqiè) urgent, 一切 (yíqiè) all.
- The cutting sense is concrete and kitchen-like; the qiè sense lives in abstract compounds.
Characters built with 切
Words with 切
- 一切yīqièallHSK 4
- 亲切qīnqièamiableHSK 5
- 密切mìqiècloseHSK 5
- 切实qièshífeasibleHSK 6
- 急切jíqièeagerHSK 6
- 迫切pòqièurgentHSK 6
- 关切guānqièto be deeply concernedHSK 7
- 切换qiēhuànto switch overHSK 7
- 切记qièjìremember at all costsHSK 7
- 切身qièshēndirectHSK 7
- 切除qiēchúto exciseHSK 7
- 深切shēnqièdeeply feltHSK 7
- 确切quèqièdefiniteHSK 7
- 切割qiēgēto cutHSK 8
- 切忌qièjìto avoid as tabooHSK 8
- 切磋qiēcuōto compare notesHSK 8
- 恳切kěnqièearnestHSK 8
- 贴切tiēqièclose-fittingHSK 9
Example sentences
- 一切都要听我的。 Yīqiè dōu yào tīng wǒ de.Everyone must listen to me regarding all matters.
- 他的态度很亲切。 Tā de tàidu hěn qīnqiè.He is very cordial.
- 一切都按照计划进行。 Yíqiè dōu ànzhào jìhuà jìnxíng.Everything is underway according to plan.