削 Stroke Order — How to Write 削

Stroke Order

削 is written in 9 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 刂, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

削 Radical and Character Components

Components:肖刂

削 is a phono-semantic compound: 刂 (knife) carries the meaning, while 肖 indicates the sound.

Radical: 刂 + 7 more strokes

削 Pronunciation and Pinyin

xiāo
xuē

Meanings of 削 in Chinese

xiāo削

To peel or pare something with a knife, especially the outer layer; to sharpen.

妈妈正在厨房里削苹果。

Mom is peeling an apple in the kitchen.

In table tennis, to chop (a ball); to hit the ball with a flat and slightly slanted racket to impart backspin, often to defend or control the pace.

他擅长用削球来限制对手的进攻。

He is good at using chop shots to restrict his opponent's attacks.

xuē削

Used in compound words like "削铁如泥" (xuē tiě rú ní), meaning "to cut iron like mud," describing extreme sharpness or efficiency; or "削足适履" (xuē zú shì lǚ), meaning "to cut one's feet to fit the shoes," describing making awkward and often detrimental changes to fit an unsuitable standard. Both usages are similar to "削" (xiāo).

这把刀锋利无比，削铁如泥

This knife is incredibly sharp, cutting through iron like mud.

To reduce or cut down (e.g., expenses, numbers).

为了提高效率，公司决定削减一些不必要的开支。

To improve efficiency, the company decided to cut down some unnecessary expenses.

To dismiss or remove someone from a position or duty.

他因工作失误被削去经理一职。

He was dismissed from his manager position due to work errors.

To exploit or extort something from someone; to fleece.

不要总是想着去削他人的利益。

Don't always think about exploiting the interests of others.

Common Words and Phrases with 削

xiāo削bái白

To shave off the flesh side of leather to achieve uniform thickness, often resulting in a lighter appearance.

为了让这块皮料厚度均匀，工匠们需要细致地削白。

To ensure the uniform thickness of this piece of leather, the craftsmen need to meticulously pare it.

xuē削fà发

To shave one's hair, typically when becoming a Buddhist monk or nun.

她为了寻求内心的平静，决定削发为尼，在寺院中度过余生。

To find inner peace, she decided to shave her head and become a nun, spending the rest of her life in the monastery.

xuē削jià价

to cut prices; to reduce prices

为了促销，这家超市决定削价出售多种商品。

To promote sales, this supermarket decided to cut prices on a variety of goods.

xuē削jiān肩

Slopping shoulders; shoulders that slope downwards.

她穿着这件削肩的连衣裙，显得更加娇柔。

Wearing this dress with sloping shoulders, she appeared even more delicate.

xuē削jiān尖nǎo脑dài袋

To make great efforts, often in an opportunistic or undignified way, to secure personal gain.

为了得到那个晋升机会，他削尖脑袋地讨好上司，甚至不惜牺牲自己的休息时间。

To secure that promotion opportunity, he bent over backwards to curry favor with his superior, even sacrificing his own rest time.

xuē削jiǎn减

To cut down or reduce from an originally planned number or amount.

为了应对经济挑战，公司决定削减非核心业务的预算。

To cope with economic challenges, the company decided to cut the budget for non-core businesses.

xiāo削pí皮

To remove the skin or rind from a fruit or vegetable, typically using a knife or peeler.

妈妈正在厨房削皮苹果，准备做水果沙拉。

Mom is peeling apples in the kitchen, preparing to make a fruit salad.

xiāo削qiē切

To cut or trim into a desired shape, especially in shoe manufacturing, such as rounding shoe sole leather or shaping heels.

工匠们用锋利的工具对木材进行削切，使其表面光滑平整。

The artisans used sharp tools to pare and cut the wood, making its surface smooth and even.

xuē削ruò弱

To weaken or impair something, such as strength, power, or influence.

长期的压力会削弱一个人的免疫系统。

Long-term stress can weaken a person's immune system.

xuē削tiě铁rú如ní泥

Extremely sharp, capable of cutting through iron as if it were mud.

这把新铸的宝剑，锋利无比，削铁如泥，令在场的所有人都叹为观止。

This newly forged sword was incredibly sharp, cutting through iron like mud, leaving everyone present in awe.

xuē削zú足shì适lǚ履

To cut the feet to fit the shoes; to force something to conform to an unsuitable or rigid standard, ignoring practical realities.

为了让项目数据符合旧有的报告模板，团队不得不削足适履，调整了许多本可以更高效的数据处理方式。

To make the project data fit the old reporting template, the team had to cut their feet to fit the shoes, adjusting many data processing methods that could have been more efficient.