彻 chè penetrating
penetrating; pervasive
怎么记住“彻”: 彳 crossroads + 切 close = penetrating. At a crossroads food stall, the chef leans close to the onions, and the street fills with a smell so penetrating that everyone cries.
部件结构
会意 · Meaning + meaning
originally 彳 + 育 + 攴
Two or more parts whose meanings together make the new meaning.
彻 = 彳 crossroads + 切 close
- 彳 crossroads meaning
- 切 close shape only
- 七 seven
- 刀 knife
At a crossroads food stall, the chef leans close to the onions, and the street fills with a smell so penetrating that everyone cries.
How it came to be
The full form began as a hand taking a pot away after a meal; later writing added signs of action.
用法
- 彻 never appears alone; it's almost always locked into 彻底 (chèdǐ) "thorough, complete", a very common adjective/adverb.
- 彻底改变 (chèdǐ gǎibiàn), completely change/transform: 彻底 intensifies a change as total, leaving nothing behind.
- 贯彻 (guànchè) is a more formal verb meaning to implement/carry through, typically used for policies: 贯彻执行 (guànchè zhíxíng), to implement thoroughly.
- 透彻 (tòuchè) describes an analysis or understanding as penetrating/thorough, e.g. 分析得很透彻 (fēnxī de hěn tòuchè).